Temple B'nai Sholom (Huntsville, Alabama)
| Temple B'nai Sholom | |
|---|---|
 The synagogue building, in 2009 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi P.J. Schwartz |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 103 Lincoln Street SE, Huntsville, Alabama 35801 |
| Country | United States |
  Location in Huntsville, Alabama | |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°43′58″N 86°34′59″W / 34.73278°N 86.58306°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | R.H. Hunt |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Date established | 1876 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Website | |
| templebnaisholom | |
Temple B'nai Sholom | |
| Part of | Old Town Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000499 (original) 15000069 (increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Boundary increase | March 17, 2015 |
| Designated CP | July 18, 1978 |
| Designated ARLH | July 29, 1977 |
| [1] | |
Temple B'nai Sholom (translated from Hebrew as "Children of Peace"[2]) is an historic Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 103 Lincoln Street SE, in Huntsville, Alabama, in the United States. Founded as a congregation on July 30, 1876, the current synagogue building was dedicated on November 26, 1899. It is the oldest synagogue building in continuous use in the state.[3][4]
History
[edit]In its early years, the congregation struggled to furnish their rented room at the Masonic Lodge in time for the High Holidays in 1876. Members who fell behind on their dues were suspended and their names published in the nationally circulated American Israelite. Of the congregation's 32 founding members in 1876, only 15 were still contributing members by 1878; 11 had been suspended for failure to pay dues.[2]
The congregation employed full-time rabbis from the 1890s until 1913, but was without a resident rabbi for 50 years until 1963. It has maintained full-time rabbinic leadership ever since.[5]
Beginning in the 1950s, the arrival of new residents associated with NASA and the space program and the many Army commands headquartered in Huntsville led to a growth in membership at Temple B'nai Sholom, and a revitalization of the congregation.
The brick building was designed by R.H. Hunt in the Romanesque Revival style and built between in 1898–1899.[4] The building was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on July 29, 1977;[6] and is a contributing property located within the Hunstville Old Town Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1978.[1] The building was extensively renovated in 1994.[4]
In 2017, Temple B'nai Sholom opened the Jewish Heritage Center,[7] a permanent exhibit that shares the Jewish community's history and many contributions to Huntsville's cultural and civic life. Museum tours are available to the public.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "Huntsville, Alabama". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Harvie P. (1994). "The Architecture of the 1899 Temple B'nai Sholom" (PDF). The Historic Huntsville Quarterly. 4. XX (Winter): 184–197. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c Alabama Historical Association (1997). "Temple B'nai Sholom". Historical markers. City of Huntsville, Alabama. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ "ISJL - Alabama Huntsville Encyclopedia". Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "The Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage" (PDF). preserveala.org. Alabama Historical Commission. September 17, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Temple B'nai Sholom provides unique sacred space in Huntsville". City of Huntsville Blog. May 29, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Temple B'Nai Shalom at Wikimedia Commons
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- 1876 establishments in Alabama
- 19th-century synagogues in the United States
- Historic district contributing properties in Alabama
- Jewish organizations established in 1876
- Jews and Judaism in Appalachia
- National Register of Historic Places in Huntsville, Alabama
- Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
- Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
- Reform synagogues in Alabama
- Synagogues completed in 1899
- Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places
- 1899 establishments in Alabama
- Romanesque Revival synagogues
- Romanesque Revival architecture in Alabama
- United States synagogue stubs
- Alabama stubs