Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center
Encyclopedia
Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center is an Orthodox
congregation located at 347 West 34th Street
, Manhattan
, New York
, in the Garment District
, near Penn Station
. Established in 1890, it constructed its current building in 1924–1925. Rabbis have included Joseph Schick, Norman Lamm
, and Solomon Kahane. , the rabbi was Jason Herman.
German Jews and Jews from Austria-Hungary
. In its early years the congregation worshiped at 252 West 35th Street, a building later purchased by St. Paul Baptist Church.
In 1905, the congregation constructed a new synagogue
building at 252 West 35th Street, designed by architect John H. Knubel. Its sanctuary sat 600. In 1924, it broke ground for its current three-story building at 347 West 34th Street. Designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag, it was completed in 1925.
Dr. Joseph Schick became rabbi
in 1926. Born in Ónod
in Austria-Hungary in 1892, he served as a chaplain in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I, and was the rabbi of Budapest's Beth Israel synagogue of 1918 to 1922, then emigrated to the United States. His books The Kaddish: Its Power for Good and Joseph's Harvest were published in 1928 and 1932 respectively. He served until his death in 1938, at age 49.
Schick was succeeded in 1939 by Harry M. Katzen and then William Novack, and then in 1940 by Leo Ginsburg.
, later president of Yeshiva University
for over 25 years, was appointed to the role. He would serve until 1958, before moving to the (unrelated) Upper West Side
Jewish Center.
Solomon (Shlomo) Kahane, ordained in 1954 at Yeshiva University, was subsequently rabbi of the congregation for 38 years; he died in April, 2004. He was a first cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane
, the founder of the Jewish Defense League
and the Israeli political party Kach
. The Jewish Defense League's first meeting was held at the West Side Jewish Center on June 18, 1968.
.
The synagogue was in the news in 2007. The congregation rents the entire side of its building for advertisements, and that year it was covered with a huge billboard for the film Resident Evil: Extinction
. The image did not offend any members, according to then-rabbi Jason Herman, and the congregation found the additional income generated by the billboard helpful for maintaining the building.
, the rabbi was Jason Herman. A former investment banker
, Herman received his rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
. He was also Executive Director of the International Rabbinic Fellowship and a fellow at Rabbis Without Borders. Known for his activism, he was one of 22 Jewish leaders arrested at the United Nations
in 2007 after a protest demanding the removal of Iran from the body. In 2008, he was one of a group of liberal Orthodox rabbis who boycotted kosher meat from Agriprocessors
over concerns that the company's practices were unethical.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
congregation located at 347 West 34th Street
34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus routes and four subway stops serving the trains at Eighth Avenue, the trains at...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in the Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
, near Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
. Established in 1890, it constructed its current building in 1924–1925. Rabbis have included Joseph Schick, Norman Lamm
Norman Lamm
Norman Lamm is a major American Modern Orthodox rabbi, scholar, author and Jewish communal leader. He is presently the Chancellor of Yeshiva University....
, and Solomon Kahane. , the rabbi was Jason Herman.
Early history
Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center was established in 1890 by OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
German Jews and Jews from Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. In its early years the congregation worshiped at 252 West 35th Street, a building later purchased by St. Paul Baptist Church.
In 1905, the congregation constructed a new synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
building at 252 West 35th Street, designed by architect John H. Knubel. Its sanctuary sat 600. In 1924, it broke ground for its current three-story building at 347 West 34th Street. Designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag, it was completed in 1925.
Dr. Joseph Schick became rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in 1926. Born in Ónod
Ónod
Ónod is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary. There are around 2000 people living there. Ónod has a long history reflected by some of the older buildings in the town, including the castle and post carriage stopping point....
in Austria-Hungary in 1892, he served as a chaplain in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I, and was the rabbi of Budapest's Beth Israel synagogue of 1918 to 1922, then emigrated to the United States. His books The Kaddish: Its Power for Good and Joseph's Harvest were published in 1928 and 1932 respectively. He served until his death in 1938, at age 49.
Schick was succeeded in 1939 by Harry M. Katzen and then William Novack, and then in 1940 by Leo Ginsburg.
1950s to 2000
In 1952, Norman LammNorman Lamm
Norman Lamm is a major American Modern Orthodox rabbi, scholar, author and Jewish communal leader. He is presently the Chancellor of Yeshiva University....
, later president of Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
for over 25 years, was appointed to the role. He would serve until 1958, before moving to the (unrelated) Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
Jewish Center.
Solomon (Shlomo) Kahane, ordained in 1954 at Yeshiva University, was subsequently rabbi of the congregation for 38 years; he died in April, 2004. He was a first cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane
Meir Kahane
Martin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...
, the founder of the Jewish Defense League
Jewish Defense League
The Jewish Defense League is a Jewish organization whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"...
and the Israeli political party Kach
Kach and Kahane Chai
Kach was a far-right political party in Israel. Founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane in the early 1970s, and following his Jewish nationalist ideology , the party entered the Knesset in 1984 after several electoral failures...
. The Jewish Defense League's first meeting was held at the West Side Jewish Center on June 18, 1968.
Events since 2000
Kahane was succeeded by Dr. Richard Weiss. A licensed physician, Weiss subsequently became rabbi of Young Israel of Hillcrest in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
The synagogue was in the news in 2007. The congregation rents the entire side of its building for advertisements, and that year it was covered with a huge billboard for the film Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
. The image did not offend any members, according to then-rabbi Jason Herman, and the congregation found the additional income generated by the billboard helpful for maintaining the building.
, the rabbi was Jason Herman. A former investment banker
Investment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
, Herman received his rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School is a "Modern Open Orthodox" yeshiva founded in 1999 by Rabbi Avi Weiss.Currently located in Riverdale, New York, it seeks to "recruit, professionally train, and place rabbis" who will promote its founder's philosophy...
. He was also Executive Director of the International Rabbinic Fellowship and a fellow at Rabbis Without Borders. Known for his activism, he was one of 22 Jewish leaders arrested at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 2007 after a protest demanding the removal of Iran from the body. In 2008, he was one of a group of liberal Orthodox rabbis who boycotted kosher meat from Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors
Agriprocessors was the corporate identity of a slaughterhouse and meat-packaging factory based in Postville, Iowa, best known as a facility for the glatt kosher processing of cattle, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and lamb. Agriprocessors' meat and poultry products were marketed under the brand...
over concerns that the company's practices were unethical.