Beth Hamedrash Hagodol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beth Hamedrash Hagodol(Norfolk Street Baptist Church) |
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Hebrew: בֵּית הַמִּדְרָש הַגָּדוֹל
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Beth Hamedrash Hagodol building in 2008,
before the 2017 fire and demolition |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Location | |
| Location | 60–64 Norfolk Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Founder | Rabbi Abraham Joseph Ash |
| Date established | 1852 (as Beth Hamedrash congregation) |
| Groundbreaking | 1848 |
| Completed | 1850 |
| Demolished | May 14, 2017 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Materials |
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Beth Hamedrash Hagodol (which means "Great Study House" in Hebrew) was an Orthodox Jewish place of worship. For over 120 years, it stood in a historic building at 60–64 Norfolk Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. It was the very first Eastern European Jewish community founded in New York City. It was also the oldest Russian Jewish Orthodox community in the United States.
The congregation started in 1852 as Beth Hamedrash, led by Rabbi Abraham Joseph Ash. In 1859, the group split. Rabbi Ash and most members formed Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. The original president and a few members later helped create the Eldridge Street Synagogue. Rabbi Jacob Joseph, New York City's first and only Chief Rabbi, led the congregation from 1888 to 1902. Later, Rabbi Ephraim Oshry, who survived the Holocaust, was the leader from 1952 to 2003.
The building itself was a Gothic Revival style structure. It was built in 1850 as the Norfolk Street Baptist Church. The Jewish community bought it in 1885. It became one of the largest synagogues on the Lower East Side. In 1999, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. By the late 1900s, fewer people attended. The building became hard to maintain, especially after storms damaged it.
The synagogue closed its doors in 2007. The community had only about 20 regular members. They began sharing a building with another group nearby. Efforts were made to raise money to fix the old building. The idea was to turn it into an educational center. However, the building was "largely destroyed" by a big fire on May 14, 2017.
Contents
Early Days of the Congregation
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol was started by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe in 1852. It was first called Beth Hamedrash, meaning "House of Study." The first rabbi, Abraham Joseph Ash, came from Poland. He arrived in New York City around 1851 or 1852. He was the first Eastern European Orthodox rabbi to work in the United States. Rabbi Ash did not like the changes that some German Jewish groups were making to their religion.
He soon gathered a group of Polish Jews who shared his beliefs. By 1852, they began holding services. Most members were Polish Jews, but there were also Lithuanians, Germans, and an Englishman. For the first six years, Rabbi Ash was not paid for his work. He earned money by being a peddler.
The congregation moved several times in its early years. In 1856, with help from a kind person named Sampson Simson, they bought a Welsh chapel on Allen Street. This synagogue had a good Hebrew library. It was a place for both prayer and study. It also had a Jewish court for family matters. It quickly became a very important center for Orthodox Jewish guidance in the country.
Synagogue fees were collected by the shamash (like a caretaker). He also worked as a glazier and sold snacks in the entrance area. People who came to say prayers for loved ones could buy a piece of cake and a small glass of brandy.
Beth Hamedrash was a model for early Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Many of these immigrants came to the United States in the 1870s. They found the synagogues of earlier German Jewish immigrants unfamiliar. This was true both religiously and culturally. Unlike German Jews, the founders of Beth Hamedrash saw religion and the synagogue as central to their lives. They tried to create a synagogue like the ones they knew in Europe.
The Congregation Splits
In 1859, a disagreement started between Rabbi Ash and the synagogue's president, Joshua Rothstein. The argument was about who was in charge and who deserved more respect. This led to problems during services and a disputed election. Rabbi Ash even took Rothstein to court to try to remove him. After the court did not agree with Ash, most members left with him. They formed Beth Hamedrash Hagodol, adding "Hagodol" (meaning "Great") to the name.
Rothstein's followers stayed at the Allen Street location. They kept the name "Beth Hamedrash" for a while. But with fewer members and less money, they had to join another congregation. Together, they became "Kahal Adath Jeshurun" and built the Eldridge Street Synagogue.
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol offered a "socially religious" atmosphere. Members combined their faith with enjoyment. They called their synagogue a shtibl, or prayer-club room. They wanted everyone to join in and chant prayers. They did not like formal services. However, members were very strict about Jewish dietary laws. Each member even watched their own matzos being baked for Passover.
The congregation first moved to a building on Grand and Forsyth Streets. In 1865, they moved again to a former courthouse on Clinton Street. In 1872, the congregation built a synagogue at Ludlow and Hester Streets. Here, younger members gained more control. They made some small changes. For example, they changed the leader's title to president. In 1877, they hired a professional cantor (singer) to make services more formal and attract new members.
Even with some changes, the congregation remained very traditional. Men and women sat separately. The full traditional prayer book was used. The congregation also continued to train men for rabbinic roles. Study groups for Talmud and Mishna were held every morning and evening.
Rabbi Ash only served as rabbi off and on during this time. He had other business ventures, which some members did not like. He also seemed to lean towards Hasidism, which some learned members questioned. Ash resigned as rabbi in 1877. In 1879, the synagogue leaders suggested hiring a Chief Rabbi for New York. They chose Jacob Joseph for this important role.
The Norfolk Street Building
The building at 60-64 Norfolk Street was originally the Norfolk Street Baptist Church. It was built in 1850. The building was designed in the Gothic Revival style. It had strong masonry walls and a brownstone foundation. The front of the building was covered in stucco to look like smooth stone. The sides were made of brick.
Typical Gothic features included tall windows with pointed arches. The front had three sections with towers. Inside, there were ribbed ceilings and a tall, wide main hall. Originally, the window above the main door was round, like a rose window. The two front towers had decorative tops.
As the building was being built, the neighborhood was changing. Many native-born Baptists moved away. Irish and German immigrants moved in. In 1860, the Baptist congregation sold the building. They moved to a new location uptown.
A local merchant bought the church. In 1862, he transferred ownership to the Alanson Methodist Episcopal Church. This Methodist group was successful for a while. But then, their membership dropped, and they faced money problems. In 1878, they transferred ownership to a missionary society.
This society helped build and support Methodist churches in poorer areas. They soon realized the Norfolk Street building was too big and costly. By 1884, the neighborhood had become mostly Jewish and German. So, they decided to sell the building.
In 1885, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol bought the building for $45,000. They spent another $10,000 on changes and repairs. But they did not change the outside look at first. Inside, they added an Ark for the Torah scrolls. They also added an "eternal light" and a bimah (a raised platform for reading the Torah). A women's gallery was added around three sides of the main hall. The sanctuary ceilings were painted bright blue with stars.
The congregation wanted this large building to show respectability for Eastern European Jewish immigrants. They wanted to show that Jews on the Lower East Side were just as "civilized" as other groups. Many other synagogues in the area also bought or built new buildings around this time.
The building had some minor changes over the years. But it was not until the early 1890s that major renovations happened. The round window on the front was removed. It was replaced with a large arched window, still in the Gothic style. This work was done by architects Schneider & Herter. They also fixed "serious structural problems" in 1893. This included making the front steps stable and adding brick supports to the sides.
Two Stars of David were added to the front of the building. One is seen in old photos, above the window arch. The other, at the very top of the roof, is still visible in modern photos. A panel with Hebrew writing was also added above the main doors.
The Era of Rabbi Jacob Joseph
Rabbi Ash passed away in 1887. The Association of American Orthodox Hebrew Congregations began looking for a new rabbi. This new rabbi would serve Beth Hamedrash Hagodol and also be the Chief Rabbi of New York City. After looking at several candidates, they chose Jacob Joseph. He became the first—and only—Chief Rabbi of New York City.
Rabbi Joseph was born in Lithuania. He was known for his sharp mind. He arrived in New York on July 7, 1888. Later that month, he gave his first sermon at Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. A huge crowd came to hear him speak. Over 1,500 men filled the synagogue, and thousands more were outside. Police had to help control the crowd.
Rabbi Joseph's main job as Chief Rabbi was to bring order to New York's kosher meat business. He issued new rules for Jewish poultry. He wanted to make sure it followed Jewish law. However, many people did not want to pay the extra fees to support this. They compared it to an unpopular tax in Russia. Rabbi Joseph never fully succeeded in organizing the kosher meat business.
Rabbi Joseph also found it hard to get people to follow Sabbath rules. His Yiddish sermons did not connect with the younger generation. He also faced many challenges. He had no experience running a large organization. Other local rabbis did not accept his authority. And non-Orthodox groups criticized him. These problems got worse after he had a stroke in 1895, which made him partly unable to work.
In the late 1800s, many synagogues in New York City served specific groups of Jews. These were often from a single town in Europe. But Beth Hamedrash Hagodol was proud to welcome all Jews, no matter where they came from. The synagogue helped poor Jews celebrate Passover by giving them money and food. By 1900, they gave about $800 a year for Passover supplies. This was in addition to their weekly help for the poor. By 1901, the synagogue had 150 members.
During Rabbi Joseph's time, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol helped create the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (the "Orthodox Union"). In 1898, leaders from many Orthodox synagogues in New York met to form this organization. By the 1980s, the Orthodox Union had over 1,000 member synagogues.
Rabbi Joseph served as the synagogue's rabbi until he passed away in 1902 at age 62. His family struggled financially because he did not always receive his salary. After his death, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol allowed him to be buried in its cemetery. His funeral was attended by a huge crowd, possibly up to 100,000 mourners.
Later Years and Challenges
Rabbi Joseph was followed by Rabbi Shalom Elchanan Jaffe. Rabbi Jaffe was a strong supporter of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He was an important rabbi on the Lower East Side. This was partly because he oversaw kosher supervision for butcher shops in New York.
Harry Fischel was the congregation's Vice President until 1902. His future son-in-law, Herbert S. Goldstein, had his Bar Mitzvah there. Goldstein later became president of the Orthodox Union.
By 1908, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol had 175 member families. The synagogue's yearly income was $10,000. In 1909, the synagogue hosted a large meeting to protest how some "reformed rabbis" were misrepresenting Judaism. In 1913, another important meeting was held to raise money for the first Young Israel synagogue. However, by 1919, membership had dropped to 110 families.
Dr. Benjamin Fleischer became the rabbi in 1924. He was a well-known speaker. In 1939, he and two other rabbis formed the first permanent beth din (court of Jewish law) in the U.S.
In the early to mid-1900s, the congregation still faced financial problems. The building needed repairs. In the 1930s or 1940s, the walls inside the sanctuary were painted with colorful pictures. These included scenes of Jerusalem and other Holy Land landscapes. By the end of 1946, the president said that if $35,000 was not raised for repairs, the building would have to be torn down.
Ephraim Oshry, a famous Jewish scholar who survived The Holocaust, became the synagogue's rabbi in 1952. He stayed in this role for over 50 years. During the Holocaust, he used Jewish books to help answer questions about how Jews could follow their laws under terrible conditions. After the war, he started religious schools for Jewish orphans. His Sunday afternoon lectures at Beth Hamedrash Hagodol were very popular. The 1,200-seat sanctuary would be completely full.
The synagogue building was again in danger of being torn down in 1967. But Rabbi Oshry successfully had it named a New York City landmark. This saved the building. At that time, the congregation had 1,400 members.
In 1974, the building was considered for the National Register of Historic Places. Its condition was described as "excellent." The building was repainted and repaired in 1977. But in later years, it began to fall apart and suffer damage.
Recent Years and the Fire
In 1997, a storm broke the large front window of the building. The window frame was rotten and could not be saved. The window remained broken for a month. The congregation, which had only about 100 members, asked for help. They had been holding services in a smaller room for a long time. They only used the main sanctuary for special holidays. Money was given for a temporary window and for repairs.
In 1999, the building was successfully added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2000, the congregation raised $40,000 for emergency repairs. They also received a large grant for restoration work, including roof repair. But they could not raise the matching funds needed to get the grant. On December 6, 2001, a fire badly damaged the roof, ceiling, and paintings inside.
In 2003, the building was named an endangered historic site. It still had many important features. These included the beautiful ark and platform for reading the Torah. It also had balconies, a Gothic vaulted ceiling, and colorful wall paintings. That same year, Rabbi Oshry passed away. His son-in-law, Rabbi Mendl Greenbaum, became the new rabbi.
By 2006, some money had been raised for repairs, but much more was needed. In 2007, Rabbi Greenbaum decided to close the synagogue. Its membership had shrunk to about 15 people. The building was mostly closed because it was unsafe for visitors. The synagogue, which was home to New York's oldest Orthodox congregation in one location, sat empty. It had holes in the roof and plaster falling from the ceiling. In 2011, the city ordered the building to be vacated.
Groups tried to raise money to fix the building. They wanted to turn it into an educational center. They received some grants and promises of money. But many of these funds were not received. By the end of 2012, over a million dollars in grants for repairs had not been used and were taken back.
In December 2012, the synagogue leadership asked for permission to tear down the building. They wanted to build new homes there, with a small synagogue on the ground floor. This request was later withdrawn in March 2013. But some groups said the building was being allowed to fall apart on purpose.
The 2017 Fire
On May 14, 2017, a large fire broke out in the empty synagogue. Firefighters worked for hours to control it. During the fire, Rabbi Yehuda Oshry, Rabbi Ephraim Oshry's son, was allowed to rescue the Torah scrolls. The fire "largely destroyed" the building. The ceiling and walls collapsed, leaving a large pile of rubble.
After the fire, the city said the building was unstable. The synagogue leadership began steps to possibly tear down the rest of the building. Parts of the damaged synagogue were demolished in early 2018.
Originally, there were plans to include parts of the synagogue building in a new 30-story residential development. However, in June 2019, engineers said that the remaining south tower had to be destroyed because it was unsafe. A worker died in October 2019 after part of the burned building collapsed. A housing lottery for the new residential building, which replaced the synagogue, started in 2022.
Images for kids
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Beth Hamedrash Hagodol sanctuary in 2005
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See also
In Spanish: Sinagoga Beth Hamedrash Hagodol para niños
