Spring Glen Synagogue
Encyclopedia
Spring Glen Synagogue is located along Old US 209 in the hamlet of the same name
, part of the Town of Wawarsing
in Ulster County
, New York
, USA. It was one of the first established in a Jewish community in the Catskill
region, and is still in use today.
Sam Meyerson, the region's first Jewish resident, bought land in the area shortly after 1900. His neighbors, all Christian
s of various Protestant denominations
, decided to accept and befriend him after conferring about the matter among themselves. Other Jewish families followed, and a congregation was formally established in 1908.
The congregation had been meeting at Spring Glen's Episcopal church. By the early 1910s, with more Jewish families buying summer homes
in or near Spring Glen, members realized they needed a place of worship of their own. In July 1916, the Torah scrolls
were dedicated. Two local Gentile
s, stationmaster Wells C. Smith and postmaster
John Thornton, presented the congregation with a Bible
they had purchased. Throughout most of 1917, a small white clapboard
bungalow with blue trim house in the middle of the hamlet, festooned with wooden Stars of David
, in the center of the hamlet, was under construction, finished in 1918.
In 1920 the congregation formally incorporated
. The synagogue was open every morning and afternoon for prayers, and congregants helped sustain it through the off-season by holding their wedding
s, bar mitzvahs, Yom Tovs and other ceremonies there.
No significant changes have been made to the building since its construction other than the addition of discreet aluminum siding and bathrooms, during the 1960s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1999.
Spring Glen, New York
Spring Glen is an unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Wawarsing in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is located just off US 209 just north of the Sullivan County line. It has the ZIP Code 12483....
, part of the Town of Wawarsing
Wawarsing, New York
Wawarsing is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 13,157 at the 2010 census. The name means "a place where the stream bends" in the Warwarsink language and refers to the geography of the land; particularly the joining of the Ver Nooy Kill and the Rondout Creek. The...
in Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
, 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...
, USA. It was one of the first established in a Jewish community in the Catskill
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
region, and is still in use today.
Sam Meyerson, the region's first Jewish resident, bought land in the area shortly after 1900. His neighbors, all Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s of various Protestant denominations
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
, decided to accept and befriend him after conferring about the matter among themselves. Other Jewish families followed, and a congregation was formally established in 1908.
The congregation had been meeting at Spring Glen's Episcopal church. By the early 1910s, with more Jewish families buying summer homes
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
in or near Spring Glen, members realized they needed a place of worship of their own. In July 1916, the Torah scrolls
Sefer Torah
A Sefer Torah of Torah” or “Torah scroll”) is a handwritten copy of the Torah or Pentateuch, the holiest book within Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of production. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish services...
were dedicated. Two local Gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
s, stationmaster Wells C. Smith and postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
John Thornton, presented the congregation with a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
they had purchased. Throughout most of 1917, a small white clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
bungalow with blue trim house in the middle of the hamlet, festooned with wooden Stars of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
, in the center of the hamlet, was under construction, finished in 1918.
In 1920 the congregation formally incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
. The synagogue was open every morning and afternoon for prayers, and congregants helped sustain it through the off-season by holding their wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, bar mitzvahs, Yom Tovs and other ceremonies there.
No significant changes have been made to the building since its construction other than the addition of discreet aluminum siding and bathrooms, during the 1960s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1999.