Ansche Chesed

Angel Orensanz Center

Ansche Chesed is a synagogue on the Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

History

The congregation was founded in 1828 by a group of German, Dutch and Polish Jews who split off from Congregation B'nai Jeshurun.^[1] By the time the congregation erected the building on Norfolk Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side that is now the Angel Orensanz Center in 1850, there had been further secessions and the congregation was composed of immigrants from Germany. It was also the largest in the United States.^[2] In the 1870s, the congregation merged with Temple Emanu-El, but by 1881 the more traditional German Jews of Ansche Chesed had reformed, been joined by newer immigrants, and were meeting in Yorkville at Lexington Avenue and 113th Street.^[1]

In 1908, the congregation was part of the movement of upper-middle-class New Yorkers to the newly fashionable neighborhood of Harlem. The congregation opened a handsome, brick, Greek revival Temple at Seventh Avenue and 114th Street.

In 1928, the congregation again followed fashion, from Harlem to the even newer Upper West Side of Manhattan, opening its present Byzantine revival building at West End Avenue and 100th Street. The architect was Edward I. Shire.^[3]

Contemporary

Ansche Chesed is a non-denominational congregation. In addition to the historic sanctuary, the congregation possesses a commodious education building. This enables multiple minyanim to meet within the congregation. These include:

• Minyan Ma'at
• Minyan Rimonim^[4]
• West Side Minyan

It hosts the nursery school, Purple Circle

External links

• anschechesed.org

References

1. ^ ^{a b} [1]^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Grinstein, Henry, The Rise of the Jewish Community of New York, 1654–1860 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1945)
3. ^ Rachel Wischnitzer, Synagogue Architecture in the United States: History and Interpretation, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, 1955, p. 123
4. ^ "AC History". anschechesed.org. http://www.anschechesed.org/web/guest/ac-history. Retrieved October 12, 2011. 

Coordinates: 40°47′52.2″N 73°58′15.4″W / 40.797833°N 73.970944°W / 40.797833; -73.970944