Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid (Milwaukee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beth Israel Ner Tamid |
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Hebrew: בית ישראל
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
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| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 6880 North Green Bay Avenue, Glendale, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Country | United States |
 Location in Wisconsin
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| Administration | United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism |
| Architecture | |
| Date established |
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| Groundbreaking | 1959 |
| Completed |
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Temple Beth Israel (former)
(now Greater Galilee Baptist Church) |
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Former synagogue, in use from 1925 to 1960
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| Location | 2432 North Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Architect | Bruns, Herman H. |
| Architectural style | Byzantine Revival influences |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000107 |
| Added to NRHP | March 5, 1992 |
Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid (Hebrew: בית ישראל) is a Jewish place of worship, called a synagogue. It is located in Glendale, a suburb north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This synagogue follows Conservative Judaism, which is a branch of Judaism that blends traditional practices with modern life.
The congregation started in 1884 as Congregation B'ne Jacob. Over the years, it went through some changes, including splitting and rejoining. It was re-established as Beth Israel in 1901. The synagogue building they used on Teutonia Avenue from 1925 to 1959 is now a historic landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The current synagogue building was built in stages, finished in 1962, 1966, and 1980.
Many important rabbis have led the congregation. Solomon Scheinfeld was the first permanent rabbi, serving from 1902 until he passed away in 1943. Herbert Panitch was rabbi from 1970 to 1995. Jacob Herber became rabbi in 2003, and Rabbi Joel Alter has been leading the congregation since 2018.
In 2011, Beth Israel was the only synagogue in Milwaukee connected with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Later, it joined with Temple Beth El Ner Tamid to form Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid.
Contents
How the Synagogue Began
Starting in Milwaukee (1884-1901)
The story of this synagogue began in 1884 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was first called Congregation B'ne Jacob. By 1886, the group split into two smaller congregations. However, they came back together in 1891, forming Beth Hamedrash Hagadol.
In 1892, they hired their first permanent rabbi, Solomon Isaac Scheinfeld. He was born in Lithuania in 1860 and moved to Milwaukee after becoming a rabbi in 1890. He stayed for less than a year before moving to Kentucky.
The congregation built a new synagogue on Fifth Street in 1893. But they had trouble paying for it. In 1900, they lost the building. The next year, the congregation was re-organized as Congregation Beth Israel. They managed to get their Fifth Street synagogue building back. In 1902, Rabbi Scheinfeld returned to lead the congregation again.
Rabbi Scheinfeld's Leadership (1902-1943)
Rabbi Scheinfeld served as Beth Israel's rabbi until he died in 1943. He started a special fund called maot chitim (which means "money for wheat"). This fund helped Jewish families in Milwaukee who couldn't afford food for the Passover Seder. This fund continued after his death, helping many families. For example, in 2003, it gave $20,000 worth of food to 600 families.
The Teutonia Avenue Building
Building and Moving (1925-1960)
In 1924, Beth Israel sold its Fifth Street building. After meeting in temporary places for a year, they built a new synagogue at 2432 North Teutonia Avenue in 1925. This new building had brown brick walls and two square towers with copper domes that looked like Byzantine-style buildings. The windows featured the six-pointed Star of David. Inside, there was a special wooden ark and tablets of the Ten Commandments. These important items were later moved to the new synagogue.
During the 1940s and 1950s, many Jewish families in Milwaukee started moving north to the suburbs. This made the Teutonia Avenue location less convenient for them. So, in 1957, the synagogue bought a large piece of land in Glendale. Construction on the new facilities began there in 1959.
The Teutonia Avenue building was sold in 1959 and emptied in 1960. Because of its history and architecture, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1992. Since 1961, the building has been used by the Greater Galilee Baptist Church for their Baptist Christian worship services.
Becoming a Conservative Synagogue
Beth Israel started as an Orthodox synagogue. This means it followed very traditional Jewish laws. Rabbi Solomon Scheinfeld was even the chief rabbi for all the Orthodox congregations in Milwaukee.
However, the congregation began to change. In the 1920s or 1930s, they stopped having separate seating for men and women during services. At the same time, they started giving sermons in English, instead of only Hebrew. These changes showed a shift towards a more modern approach. Eventually, Beth Israel became fully egalitarian, meaning men and women participate equally in all parts of the service. The synagogue then joined the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Recent History (1960s to Today)
New Buildings and Leaders
The current Beth Israel facilities were built in three stages. In 1962, a new school building was finished, and services were held there. In 1966, the main sanctuary and social hall were completed and officially opened. Finally, in 1980, the work on the sanctuary was fully finished.
In 1970, Herbert Panitch became the rabbi of Beth Israel. He served the congregation for 25 years until he retired in 1995.
Cantors and Rabbis Since 2000
In 2002, Mitchell Joshua Martin joined as the cantor, who leads the musical parts of the service. In 2008, Fortunée Belilos served as an interim cantor. The next year, in July, Jeremy Stein became the new cantor.
Jacob Herber became the rabbi of Beth Israel in August 2003. He had studied at the University of California, Davis and became a rabbi in 1996. Before coming to Beth Israel, he was a rabbi at Har Zion Temple in Philadelphia. In 2008, Rabbi Herber traveled to Uganda to help the Abayudaya community with their conversion to Judaism. At that time, the congregation had 700 member families.
Rabbi Joel Alter has been leading Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid since 2018. He became a rabbi in 1996. Before coming to Milwaukee, Rabbi Alter worked as a teacher and administrator in Jewish schools. He also helped recruit new rabbis and cantors for the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Alter moved to Milwaukee with his twin daughters.
As of 2011, Beth Israel Ner Tamid was the only synagogue in Milwaukee associated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Today, Rabbi Joel Alter is the rabbi, Jeremy Stein is the cantor, and Menachem Graupe is the president.
