Monday, May 17, 2010
Brooklyn’s Oldest Orthodox Synagogue Celebrates Birthday
The oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue in all of Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island — one of the few remnants of the non-Hasidic Jewish community that thrived in Williamsburg until the 1960s — celebrated its 141st anniversary on Sunday with a dinner that attracted several well-known figures from the legal and political communities.
The synagogue is Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, led since 1971 by Rabbi Joshua Fishman, who until recently, headed an international Hebrew-school support organization, and 85-year-old president Morris Schulman.
According to Marty Needelman, longtime director of Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A and a trustee of the synagogue, “In 1971, you had 700 people coming to services here. Now, on Saturdays, you get about 25 people; on other days you get 12.”
Nevertheless, said Needelman, the congregation has attracted some younger members. Of the older people, some are Holocaust survivors.
The synagogue was founded in 1869 by traditional Jews who were members of a local Reform synagogue and were angry that this synagogue installed an organ for Yom Kippur services, a violation of traditional Jewish law. The first Jews who lived in the area were German Jews, as Reform Judaism was strong in Germany.
There are no longer any Reform or Conservative (actually, middle of the road) congregations in the area, said Needelman, although one Orthodox synagogue in Greenpoint has adopted mixed male-female seating.
The German Jewish community aside, large numbers of Eastern European Jewish immigrants flocked to Williamsburg from the Lower East Side in the early years of the 20th century, after the Williamsburg Bridge provided a direct link with Manhattan. Williamsburg was always a community for working class Jews, as opposed to more middle-class Jewish neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Flatbush.
Many prominent Jewish Americans grew up in Williamsburg, such as comedian-director Mel Brooks and singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The old-time immigrant life in the community is described in Daniel Fuchs’ 1934 novel, Summer in Williamsburg.
After World War II, Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jewish refugees from Europe began to make Williamsburg their home. The tension between these refugees and non-Hasidic Jews, even the Orthodox, is detailed in Chaim Potok’s 1960s novel, The Chosen. Today, says Needelman, Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom is on good terms with “part of” the Hasidic community.
Other prominent Brooklynites who attended the anniversary dinner included prominent attorney and Democratic District Leader Steve Cohn and Assemblyman Joe Lentol. Lentol told the Eagle that although he himself is not Jewish, his, father, mother and aunt all spoke Yiddish because the neighborhood was so heavily Jewish.
“We had a store, and we had to be able to talk to the Yiddish customers,” said the assemblyman, who added that it was “an honor” to make a presentation at the dinner.
Cohn told the Eagle that “the synagogue is where I had my bar mitzvah. I go back there all the time — it reminds me of my dad, who was an assemblyman and was involved in the synagogue. The dinner is a wonderful annual event.”
The guest speaker at the dinner was Rabbi Oscar Ehrenreich, longtime principal of the Beth Jacob girls’ school in Borough Park, which has 2,000 students. A writer for the Best in Jewish Williamsburg blog was impressed that in addition to the scriptures, the rabbi quoted Tom Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again.
The synagogue’s current building, at 284 Rodney St., near Broadway, was built in 1957 – the original building was demolished as a result of the building of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=31&id=35454
The synagogue is Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, led since 1971 by Rabbi Joshua Fishman, who until recently, headed an international Hebrew-school support organization, and 85-year-old president Morris Schulman.
According to Marty Needelman, longtime director of Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A and a trustee of the synagogue, “In 1971, you had 700 people coming to services here. Now, on Saturdays, you get about 25 people; on other days you get 12.”
Nevertheless, said Needelman, the congregation has attracted some younger members. Of the older people, some are Holocaust survivors.
The synagogue was founded in 1869 by traditional Jews who were members of a local Reform synagogue and were angry that this synagogue installed an organ for Yom Kippur services, a violation of traditional Jewish law. The first Jews who lived in the area were German Jews, as Reform Judaism was strong in Germany.
There are no longer any Reform or Conservative (actually, middle of the road) congregations in the area, said Needelman, although one Orthodox synagogue in Greenpoint has adopted mixed male-female seating.
The German Jewish community aside, large numbers of Eastern European Jewish immigrants flocked to Williamsburg from the Lower East Side in the early years of the 20th century, after the Williamsburg Bridge provided a direct link with Manhattan. Williamsburg was always a community for working class Jews, as opposed to more middle-class Jewish neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Flatbush.
Many prominent Jewish Americans grew up in Williamsburg, such as comedian-director Mel Brooks and singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The old-time immigrant life in the community is described in Daniel Fuchs’ 1934 novel, Summer in Williamsburg.
After World War II, Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jewish refugees from Europe began to make Williamsburg their home. The tension between these refugees and non-Hasidic Jews, even the Orthodox, is detailed in Chaim Potok’s 1960s novel, The Chosen. Today, says Needelman, Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom is on good terms with “part of” the Hasidic community.
Other prominent Brooklynites who attended the anniversary dinner included prominent attorney and Democratic District Leader Steve Cohn and Assemblyman Joe Lentol. Lentol told the Eagle that although he himself is not Jewish, his, father, mother and aunt all spoke Yiddish because the neighborhood was so heavily Jewish.
“We had a store, and we had to be able to talk to the Yiddish customers,” said the assemblyman, who added that it was “an honor” to make a presentation at the dinner.
Cohn told the Eagle that “the synagogue is where I had my bar mitzvah. I go back there all the time — it reminds me of my dad, who was an assemblyman and was involved in the synagogue. The dinner is a wonderful annual event.”
The guest speaker at the dinner was Rabbi Oscar Ehrenreich, longtime principal of the Beth Jacob girls’ school in Borough Park, which has 2,000 students. A writer for the Best in Jewish Williamsburg blog was impressed that in addition to the scriptures, the rabbi quoted Tom Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again.
The synagogue’s current building, at 284 Rodney St., near Broadway, was built in 1957 – the original building was demolished as a result of the building of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=31&id=35454
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