Stanton Street Synagogue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stanton Street Synagogue
Yiddish: קאנגרעגיישאן בני יעקב אנשי ברזעזאן
Stanton Street Shul in 2009
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Aviad Bodner
Status	Active
Location
Location	180 Stanton Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York 10002
Country	United States
Location in Lower Manhattan
Architecture
Architect(s)	Louis A. Sheinart
Architectural type	Synagogue
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Date established	1894 (as a congregation)
Specifications
Length	100 feet (30 m)
Width	20 feet (6.1 m)
Materials	Stone and brick

The Stanton Street Synagogue, also known as the Stanton Street Shul, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue. It is located at 180 Stanton Street in the Lower East Side area of Manhattan, New York City.

This synagogue was built in 1913 by a group of Jewish immigrants from a town called Brzeżany in Eastern Europe. Its first Rabbi, Judah Leib Rose, encouraged the community to build the synagogue. It is one of the few remaining "tenement-style" synagogues. These buildings were often built into or alongside existing apartment buildings. In 2002, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical sites.

History of the Stanton Street Synagogue

Jewish immigrants from the Galician town of Brzeżany formed a group called Congregation Bnai Jacob Anshei Brzezan in 1894. This group was a "mutual aid society," meaning they helped each other out. They built their synagogue on Stanton Street in 1913. Rabbi Judah Leib Rose, who arrived in New York in 1909, encouraged them to build it. He became the first Rabbi of their new building.

The synagogue was built into two older structures from the 1840s. These were a three-story wooden house and a brick house. The whole project cost about $10,000.

After the 1930s, fewer Jewish people lived in the Lower East Side. This meant fewer members for the synagogue. In 1952, the synagogue joined with another group called Bnai Joseph Dugel Macheneh Ephraim. This group was started by Polish-Jewish immigrants.

In 1964, Rabbi Joseph Singer became the spiritual leader of the synagogue. He was from Pilzno, Poland, and had come to the Lower East Side in 1939. Rabbi Singer served the synagogue until 2002, often without pay. He was known for helping the poor and elderly people in the neighborhood.

Saving the Synagogue

Under Rabbi Singer's leadership, the synagogue was a place for prayer and meetings. Many of its members were older immigrants and working-class people. By 2000, many members had passed away or moved. It became hard to gather a minyan, which is a group of ten men needed for prayer services. Rabbi Singer would sometimes offer food after prayers to encourage people to come.

In 2000, there was a plan to sell the synagogue building. The building was getting old and needed repairs. However, the members of the synagogue strongly disagreed with the sale. They wanted to keep their synagogue.

The community worked hard to save the building. They went to a beis din, which is a rabbinical court. Later, they took the case to the New York State Supreme Court. In 2002, everyone agreed that the building would not be sold. The synagogue's sacred Torah scrolls were also returned to the building. This event brought new attention to the synagogue.

A New Beginning

The effort to save the synagogue brought new life to the old building. Younger members started joining. New leaders were chosen, and they looked for money to make repairs. By 2004, there were over 100 members. This group included older people who spoke Yiddish and many younger couples and families. By 2012, most members were under 35 years old.

Since 2002, the synagogue has had several rabbis. Rabbi Akiva Herzfeld was the part-time rabbi in 2002. Rabbi Yossi Pollak followed him in 2006. In 2008, Rabbi Josh Yuter became the rabbi. Rabbi Yuter had a background in computer science and used his skills to help the synagogue. He used social media like Foursquare and Twitter to connect with people. In 2014, Rabbi Aviad Bodner became the new rabbi. Under his leadership, the number of members grew a lot.

Design and Architecture

The Stanton Street Synagogue is one of the last examples of "tenement-style" synagogue buildings in the Lower East Side. It is a three-story building made of stone and brick. It sits on a typical city lot, which is about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 100 feet (30 m) long.

The front of the building has a neoclassical design. It has a main entrance in the middle. Four tall stone pillars support a decorative top section. On this section, the synagogue's Yiddish name and the year it was built are carved.

The Star of David symbol appears in four places on the building:

• Above the main entrance in a round window.
• In a large, circular, stained-glass window above the decorative top.
• Carved onto a stone tablet at the very top of the building.
• On the metal gate in front of the building.

While the Star of David designs are still there, much of the original colored glass in the windows has broken over time.

Inside, stairs lead down to the main prayer area and a hall for gatherings. A wooden platform called a bimah stands in the center of the prayer area. The wooden Ark, where the Torah scrolls are kept, is at the front. The ceiling has a decorative tin design and two skylight domes. There used to be a separate area for women, but it is not used anymore. Instead of long benches, people sit on old wooden and metal school desk-chairs from the early 1900s.

The walls around the main prayer area have paintings of the Zodiac signs. These signs represent the twelve Hebrew months. Zodiac art was once common in synagogues in the Lower East Side. Now, you can only see them at the Stanton Street Synagogue and the Bialystoker Synagogue. The paintings are framed by what look like marble pillars, but they are actually clever trompe-l'œil paintings that trick your eye. The wall around the Ark has folk art paintings of the Tower of David and Rachel's Tomb.

The roof and fire escape were repaired in 2006 and 2007. The main prayer area was also renovated in 2007. More repairs and renovations were done in 2018, thanks to donations and volunteers. Local artists helped restore some of the wall paintings. The synagogue is now in good shape, but old buildings always need ongoing care.

Activities and Events

The Stanton Street Synagogue is known for being welcoming and hosting many different Jewish cultural events. They often have musical performances, including:

• Traditional Jewish music
• Jewish rock 'n' roll
• Klezmer (a type of Jewish folk music)
• Avant-garde jazz

The synagogue also hosts art exhibitions. For example, in 2004, artist David Friedman created an exhibition called "Borsch and Coffee: Floral Abstractions." He used unusual materials like borsch juice and coffee grounds in his paintings. This was a tribute to an elderly member who always prepared coffee and snacks for the Sabbath.

Since 2004, the synagogue has held an annual event to remember the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. This terrible fire happened in 1911. Artists and synagogue members write the names of the victims in chalk in front of where they used to live.

In 2015, the Stanton Street Shul started a monthly "Stanton Kids tefila" (prayer). This event includes guided prayers, singing, kid-friendly food, and a special talk by the rabbi, all designed for children.

See also

In Spanish: Sinagoga de la Calle Stanton para niños