Temple Israel (Paducah, Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Temple Israel is a Reform
synagogue
in Paducah, Kentucky
.
).
Paducah's elaborate, Moorish Revival
Temple was built in 1893 on the corner of Broadway and 7th Street. The architect was Brinton B. Davis
who went on to build the original buildings of Western Kentucky University
. The building featured a central tower and a pair of minaret
s, all three topped with large onion dome
s (these domes were removed in the early 1930s). There was an oriel window
on the front of the tower, and three tiers of horseshoe windows. The front entrance featured a tripartite, columned, horseshoe-arched doorway topped by a tripartite tier of horseshoe windows. This synagogue building was torn down in 1963.
The current Temple building, dedicated in May, 1963, is at the corner of Madison and Joe Clifton Drive.
According to the stone at its entrance, the Temple Israel Cemetery was established in 1859. It is located at 2535 Lone Oak Road, adjacent to the Mt. Kenton Cemetery.
Unfortunately, in 2004, the current Temple building was attacked by antisemitic vandals.
Although Temple Israel is a Reform congregation, its members include those of Conservative and Orthodox backgrounds, who add another level of richness to the Temple Israel family.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
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...
in Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
.
History
The community was founded in 1864 as the Paducha Chevra Yeshrun Burial Society, and the synagogue was chartered in 1871. In 1873 it became a charter member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform JudaismUnion for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
).
Paducah's elaborate, Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
Temple was built in 1893 on the corner of Broadway and 7th Street. The architect was Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis
Brinton B. Davis was an architect in Kentucky. More than a dozen of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of his works were covered in a study, "Buildings on the Western Kentucky University campus TR"....
who went on to build the original buildings of Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. The building featured a central tower and a pair of minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s, all three topped with large onion dome
Onion dome
An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles the onion, after which they are named. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the drum upon which they are set, and their height usually exceeds their width...
s (these domes were removed in the early 1930s). There was an oriel window
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
on the front of the tower, and three tiers of horseshoe windows. The front entrance featured a tripartite, columned, horseshoe-arched doorway topped by a tripartite tier of horseshoe windows. This synagogue building was torn down in 1963.
The current Temple building, dedicated in May, 1963, is at the corner of Madison and Joe Clifton Drive.
According to the stone at its entrance, the Temple Israel Cemetery was established in 1859. It is located at 2535 Lone Oak Road, adjacent to the Mt. Kenton Cemetery.
Unfortunately, in 2004, the current Temple building was attacked by antisemitic vandals.
Temple Israel Today
According to the Temple Israel website, the synagogue is home to a small Reform congregation of about 35 families. It is a mix of members whose families have lived in Paducah for several generations, as well as those arriving in the area more recently. Owing to the relatively small size, of the congregation, Temple Israel does not have a permanent rabbi, but rather benefits from the unique points of view of student rabbis.Although Temple Israel is a Reform congregation, its members include those of Conservative and Orthodox backgrounds, who add another level of richness to the Temple Israel family.