Temple Society of Concord Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Temple Society of Concord
Inside the synagogue's sanctuary in 2019
Religion
Affiliation	Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Ilan Emanuel
Status	Active
Location
Location	910 Madison Street, Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York 13210
Country	United States
Location in New York
Architecture
Architect(s)	Alfred Taylor Arnold W. Brunner (consultant)
Architectural type	Synagogue
Architectural style	Neo-classical
Date established	1839 (as a congregation)
Completed	1911
Construction cost	$100,000
Materials	Limestone

The Temple Society of Concord, often called Temple Concord, is a Reform Jewish community and synagogue. It is located at 910 Madison Street in Syracuse, New York, in the United States.

It was started in 1839, making it the ninth-oldest active Jewish community in the United States. Temple Concord is a part of the Union for Reform Judaism. It is the main Reform synagogue in Central New York. It also has the largest Jewish religious school in the area.

Religious services happen every Friday night and Saturday morning. They also take place on Jewish holidays. Religious school and adult learning programs are held twice a week. Temple Concord also hosts many educational, cultural, and social events. These events serve the whole Syracuse community.

The synagogue building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2019, the community decided to sell the historic building. This was due to financial challenges.

How Temple Concord Started
Important Religious Leaders
- Past and Present Rabbis
The Synagogue Building
Gallery
See also

How Temple Concord Started

Temple Concord was founded in 1839. It was started by German immigrants. These people moved to upstate New York because of the new Erie Canal. At first, the small group met in a back room of a local store. They held meetings and worship services there.

By 1841, they moved to the second floor of a member's home. This was on Mulberry Street. From there, they hired their first religious leader. He was not a formally trained rabbi. The group officially became a non-profit on February 24, 1942. They first called themselves "Comrades of Peace." Soon after, they changed it to Keneseth Shalome. They translated this as Temple Society of Concord. The official papers list Max Thalheimer, Samuel Bernheimer, and Joseph Wiseman as leaders.

Important Religious Leaders

In its early years, many religious leaders served the community. These men were called "Reverends." They worked as cantors, teachers, Mohelim, and Schochetim. Most were not formally trained as rabbis, except for Bernard Illowy.

Rabbi Adolph Guttman came to America from Hohenems, Austria. He was the first modern Reform rabbi. He helped shape the services and organization for many years.

Past and Present Rabbis

Abraham Gunzenhauser (1841-1846)
Joseph Goodman
Jacob Levi
Bernard Illowy
Herman Berkenthal
Rev. Deutsch
Rev. Cohen
Rev. Burgheimer
Dr. Adolph Guttman (1883-1918)
Rabbi Benjamin Friedman (1919-1969)
Rabbi Theodore S. Levy (1970-1990)
Rabbi Sheldon Ezring (1990-2009)
Rabbi Daniel Fellman (2009-2021)
Rabbi Ilan Emanuel (2021-present)

The Synagogue Building

In 1851, the community built its first synagogue. It was at Harrison and Mulberry Streets. The building cost $10,000. This was a lot of money at that time.

The current building is in the Neo-classical style. It is at Madison Street and University Avenue. It has a main worship area and a social hall. Alfred Taylor from Syracuse designed it. Arnold W. Brunner from New York was a consulting architect.

The first stone was laid on September 19, 1910. The building opened on September 23, 1911. It cost $100,000 to build. The social hall was made bigger in the 1920s. A classroom building was also added. The Hiram and Mabel Weisberg Religious School was built in 1961. Edward C. Roock designed this part.

The Benjamin M. Berinstein Memorial Chapel was built in 1997. It is inside the old 1920s education building. Allen Kosoff, a member, was the architect. John Dobbs designed the beautiful stained glass windows.

The building from 1910-11 was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 27, 2009.

In July 2019, the community voted to sell the building for $9 million. It will be turned into student housing. The first plans were changed because some people felt the building would be "too big." A new plan was submitted in 2021. It suggested 210 apartments with 599 beds.