Congregation Agudas Achim (Livingston Manor, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agudas Achim Synagogue |
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Synagogue south profile and east elevation, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Fred Pomerantz |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Rock Avenue, Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York 12758 |
| Country | United States |
 Location in New York
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| Architecture | |
| General contractor | Izzy Brooks |
| Date established | 1913 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | East |
| Materials | Concrete, stucco, wood |
The Agudas Achim Synagogue, also known as Congregation Agudas Achim, is a special Jewish place of worship. Its name means "Gathering of brothers" in Hebrew. It is located on Rock Avenue in Livingston Manor, New York.
This building was built in the 1920s. It was made for the growing Jewish community in the Catskills area. Many Jewish families from New York City used to vacation there. The synagogue served these summer visitors.
The group that started the synagogue began in 1913. It was a mix of Jewish people, some following traditional rules and others not. The synagogue building was finished in 1924. It mixes ideas from old synagogues in Eastern Europe with styles from local Christian churches. It also has features seen in other synagogues in Sullivan County.
After World War II, fewer people visited the Catskills. The synagogue became a Reform congregation to welcome new members. It still holds services all year. The building looks much like it did when it was first built. In 1998, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historic site.
The synagogue is a few blocks from the center of Livingston Manor. It is on the west side of Rock Avenue. This area has both homes and businesses.
Contents
Outside the Synagogue
The synagogue is a one-story building. It sits on a concrete basement that looks like stone. The first floor is covered in rough stucco, which is a type of plaster, with small pieces of glass mixed in. The roof has a pointed shape and is covered with asphalt shingles.
The front of the building faces east. It has a part that sticks out with steps leading up to a porch. The porch roof is also pointed. Above the porch, it says "AGUDAS ACHIM" in big letters. On top of this section, there's a small enclosed area with a sloped roof. It has two small towers with pointy roofs on each side. The front of this section has a large round window with a Star of David design. Two smaller windows are next to it. Above these, there are more small round windows with Stars of David.
The back of the building looks similar to the front but is smaller. It holds the Torah ark, which is a special cabinet for holy scrolls. This part has three Star-of-David windows. The sides of the building have five tall, arched windows. These windows have colorful Star of David designs in their glass.
The basement has its own windows. There is a small entrance to the basement on the southwest side. On the southeast corner, there is a stone with the building's date carved into it.
Inside the Synagogue
From the front porch, double doors lead into a small entry room. This room opens into one large main worship area called the sanctuary. The walls are plain off-white plaster. The ceiling is rounded like a barrel.
The sanctuary is set up like older synagogues in Eastern Europe. The bimah, which is a platform where the Torah is read, is in the middle. Pews, or benches, are on three sides around it. The ark, where the Torah scrolls are kept, is behind the bimah on the back wall.
Above the back of the sanctuary, there is an open gallery for women, called an Ezrat Nashim. You can reach it by two small stairs from the entry room. This gallery has a wavy shape and is held up by two round wooden columns. The outside of the gallery has rectangular panels.
All the floors inside are made of hardwood. The bimah and ark have wooden panels on the outside. The stairs have square posts and decorative railings. The pews are simple, with curved wooden ends. Light comes from a large iron chandelier in the center. There are also four hanging lanterns, wall lights, and decorative lights on the bimah and ark platform.
The finished basement is used as a meeting room. It has a metal ceiling and a wall that divides the space. One end of the basement has a small stage.
Building Style and Meaning
The synagogue's design shows two main influences. One is the Eastern European background of its founders. The other is the style of local Protestant churches. It also shares features with other synagogues built in Sullivan County around the same time.
On the outside, the two small towers on the front are like smaller versions of towers seen on many Eastern European synagogues. The porch that sticks out and the colorful glass also come from those building traditions.
The synagogue's steep, pointed roof and arched windows are not common for synagogues. These features are more like the "meetinghouse" style of older Baptist and Presbyterian churches in the Catskills. Many other synagogues in the county also have a raised main floor with wide front steps.
Inside, both influences are clear. The layout, with the bimah in the center, was common for Orthodox Jewish practice in Eastern Europe. This setup meant everyone in the congregation was involved in reading the Torah and praying. In Reform services, like those held here now, a leader guides these parts.
The simple inside and rounded ceiling look like a country Protestant church. This is very different from the richly decorated insides of places like Ohave Shalom in Woodridge. Only the Stars of David and colored glass show that it is a synagogue. It's not known if the simple style was chosen because of local church styles or if it was due to not having enough money for fancy decorations.
The building is built facing the road, which was common for local buildings. However, in traditional Jewish practice, the ark should always face Jerusalem. At Agudas Achim, the ark is on the opposite side of the building from Jerusalem. To follow tradition, the entrance would have needed to be at the back of the building, away from the road.
History of the Synagogue
The Agudas Achim Synagogue has been around for almost the entire time Jewish people have lived in the Catskills. It started with a diverse group of people. It became known as an Orthodox synagogue, even though not all members were strictly Orthodox.
After World War II, the local vacation industry in the Catskills slowed down. People started going to other places for holidays. The synagogue also saw fewer members. But changing to a formal Reform group helped the synagogue and its community grow again. Many new residents in the area now have second homes or retirement homes there.
Early Years: Growth and Change
Jewish families began settling in Livingston Manor in 1882. This was when a train station was built there. Farmers could send their goods to New York City. Some German Jews came to the Catskills and started dairy farms. The railroad also brought city people wanting to escape summer heat. This led some farmers to open resorts and summer camps. At first, many resorts did not welcome Jewish guests.
Around 1900, more Jewish people from Eastern Europe arrived. New resorts opened that welcomed Jewish visitors. The first Jewish family settled in Livingston Manor in 1906. The first Jewish resort opened two years later. In these early years, Jewish people faced unfair treatment. In 1912, several Jewish families bought land for a cemetery. Local Christian cemeteries would not accept Jewish burials.
By the 1920s, Jewish people made up 10% of the local population. They became more involved in local life, and the unfair treatment lessened. A group called The Workmen's Circle started a school for Jewish children. It had classes and hosted social events and some religious services. For many, Jewish identity was shown more through culture than just faith.
In the 1920s, newer Jewish arrivals in Livingston Manor were very committed to their faith. These immigrants began holding special holiday services at a rented pavilion. In 1922, the more religious Jews formed the Agudas Achim congregation. They bought land, and Izzy Brooks, a local builder, built the synagogue. It opened in 1924.
Even less religious Jews supported the synagogue. The school started by The Workmen's Circle eventually closed. The synagogue followed traditional Jewish practices. It was seen as Orthodox, but it was never officially part of a larger Orthodox group. Farmers and hotel owners often drove long distances for Shabbat services. They would park far from the synagogue and walk the rest of the way. This was to keep the appearance of following Jewish law against driving on Shabbat.
The Jewish community and their synagogue did well during the Great Depression. Many middle-class garment workers from the city, who were now part of unions, could afford summer vacations at Jewish mountain resorts. Rabbi Meir Bilitsky, who later became a well-known rabbi, started his career here.
However, in the 1950s, this changed. These same Jewish families moved to suburbs and started vacationing elsewhere. Many resorts that once did not welcome them now did. Jewish people began to leave the village. By 1972, Agudas Achim was only open for major holidays and was starting to fall apart.
Recent Years: Reform and Renewal
By 1973, the congregation had only 35 members. Its leaders started thinking about becoming a Conservative or Reform synagogue. In 1981, they began hiring Reform rabbis, including women, to lead services. A few years later, new members joined with older ones to form a group to help the synagogue.
In 1984, after some older members moved away, the congregation officially became Reform. The president at the time, Leon Siegel, used money from a women's group to create a fund. This fund helped pay for repairs and upkeep of the building.
In 1990, the synagogue hired a regular rabbi. They started holding services once a month. Two years later, in 1992, they celebrated their first bar mitzvah since 1971. By 1999, the congregation had grown to 105 families. This might have been its largest membership ever.
Today, the synagogue holds monthly services all year. This is true even though some Jewish residents of Livingston Manor spend winters in Florida. It also has a Hebrew school for children. In 2008, five students celebrated their bar or bat mitzvahs there. This was a large number for a small congregation. The synagogue is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism.
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