Congregation Agudath Achim

Congregation Agudath Achim
This article is about the Kentucky synagogue . For the New Jersey synagogue, see Freehold Jewish Center.
Agudath Achim
Basic information
Location 2411 Montgomery Avenue,
Ashland, Kentucky,
 United States
Affiliation Orthodox Judaism (1896-1921)
Reform Judaism (1921-1986)
Status Inactive
Architectural description
Completed 1938

Congregation Agudath Achim (Hebrew: "Society of Brothers") was the first Jewish congregation in Ashland, Kentucky.

History

Founded in 1896 by Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, Agudath Achim services were held in various rented halls in downtown Ashland for many years. In the early twentieth century, many began to actively prefer Reform Judaism to Orthodoxy; as early as 1915 biweekly Reform services were conducted by a student rabbi from Hebrew Union College, and in 1921 the congregation joined the Reform movement. This change was not uncontested; the move led to the secession of some members, who founded a new synagogue, the House of Israel. Around this same time, Agudath Achim became a member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

It was not until 1938 that a temple was completed and dedicated, at 2411 Montgomery Avenue in Ashland. The building, now Pentecostal Holiness Church, is still standing, and has been described as "the least handsome of all the commonwealth's pre-World War II synagogues", despite containing "some rather pleasing stained glass."

Agudath Achim closed around 1986, at which point organized Jewish life ceased in Ashland. One member explained that the decision to close had been delayed as long as possible, because the Jews of Ashland "didn't want to lose our identity in the community." The trustees of the congregation invested the proceeds of the sale "in case, miraculously, enough Jewish people moved here to start another congregation."

Notable members

Notes and references

  1. ^ Who's who in world Jewry by Harry Schneiderman and Itzhak J. Carim


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Congregation Beth Israel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) — For other synagogues named Beth Israel , see Beth Israel. Beth Israel Basic information Location 6880 North Green Bay Avenue, Glendale, Wisconsin,  United States Geogr …   Wikipedia

  • Freehold Jewish Center — Freehold Jewish Center; Congregation Agudath Achim Basic information Location 59 Broad Street, Freehold; corner of Broad Street and Stokes Street Geographic coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • OTTAWA — OTTAWA, city in the province of Ontario and capital of Canada, situated at the junction of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers. Settled in the early 1800s, Ottawa was originally called Bytown (1826) after Colonel John By, who supervised the building of… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Julius Curtis Lewis, Jr. — Infobox Mayor | J. Curtis Lewis, Jr. order=60th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia term start=October 3, 1966 term end=1970 predecessor=Malcolm Maclean successor=John Rousakis birth date=birth date | 1926 | 03 | 11 birth place=Savannah, Georgia death… …   Wikipedia

  • SAVANNAH — SAVANNAH, city in Georgia, U.S., third oldest Jewish community in North America. A seaport, the city had a total population of 129,808, according to the 2004 U.S. Census estimates, of whom 3,500 were Jews in 2005. On July 11, 1733, 41 Jews… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • VIRGINIA — VIRGINIA, state on the east coast of the U.S. In 2001, approximately 66,000 residents were of the Jewish faith, comprising just 0.9% of the state s total population. One of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the country, the largest Jewish …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KENTUCKY — KENTUCKY, state in the south central United States. A receipt with a Yiddish notation surviving from 1781 reveals that the firm of Cohen and Isaacs in Richmond, Virginia, paid Daniel Boone for surveying land on its behalf in Kentucky, and other… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Yeshiva Tiferes Torah — YTT (Yeshiva Mesivta Tiferes Torah) was a Jewish Orthodox high school located in Staten Island, NY, from 1993 2004.YTT was located on Rupert Avenue, in the Willowbrook section of Staten Island, New York at KHAL AGUDAS SHOMREI HADAR; known as… …   Wikipedia

  • David Aronberg — 29th Mayor of Ashland, Kentucky In office January 1, 1952 – 1955 Preceded by Will C. Simpson Succeede …   Wikipedia

  • Liste des fondations du Québec — Ceci est une liste des fondations du Québec. Au Québec, il y en a 16 076[1]. Sommaire 1 Hôpitaux 2 Groupes religieux islamiques 3 Synagogues …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”