Ulster Heights Synagogue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ulster Heights Synagogue |
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Front (south) elevation and east profile of building, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Ulster Heights, Catskill region, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | c. 1908 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | South |
| Materials | Wood |
The Ulster Heights Synagogue, also known as Congregation Knesset Israel of Ulster Heights, is a special Jewish place of worship called a synagogue. It is located in the Catskill region of New York, in a small area called Ulster Heights. You can find it at the corner of Beaver Dam and Ulster Heights roads.
This congregation, or group of people who worship together, started in the early 1900s. The synagogue building itself was finished in 1924. It was built by the first Jewish American families who settled in this part of the Catskills. In 2001, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site. It's a good example of a simple, local synagogue from that time. The building has been updated over the years, but it still looks much like it did when it was first built. Today, fewer people live in the area, so the synagogue has fewer members than it used to.
What the Synagogue Looks Like
The synagogue is a one-story building. It has three sections on the front and three on the side. A newer part was added to the west side. The outside walls are covered in white vinyl siding, which replaced the original wooden boards.
The building is made of wood. It sits on a strong base of fieldstone and mortar. The roof is shaped like a triangle (called a gable) and is covered with asphalt shingles. The roof has a wide edge called a cornice on three sides. The front of the roof has a decorative wall that sticks up, called a parapet.
A single brick chimney comes up from the back of the building. The main entrance at the front has a small, slightly raised porch called a portico.
Inside, you first enter a small entryway called a vestibule. This leads into the main worship area, called the auditorium. In the auditorium, the ark (where the holy scrolls are kept) is at the back. The pews, or benches, are arranged around the bimah (a raised platform for reading the Torah) on three sides. A wide hallway connects to the newer part of the building, which is used as a community center.
When it was first built, the inside of the synagogue was very plain. Over time, some nice decorations were added. These include a fancy light fixture called a chandelier in the auditorium. There's also a wrought-iron railing around the bimah.
History of the Synagogue
Jewish families from Eastern Europe started moving to the Catskills around 1900. Areas in Ulster and Sullivan counties became popular places to settle. One of these places was Ulster Heights. It is in the western hills of the Town of Wawarsing, close to the Sullivan County line.
The Jewish settlers here were unique because they continued to be a farming community. They raised dairy cows and poultry (chickens) on the rocky land. Many other Jewish communities in the region eventually became resort areas. At first, these families held prayer services in their homes. As more families arrived, they started meeting at Samuel Tannenbaum's hotel and boarding house.
From 1908, the group wanted to build their own synagogue. But it took until 1922 to save enough money to buy the land. They built a foundation soon after. However, the wood they bought for the building was bad. They were left with just an empty hole in the ground. Samuel Kaufman, a lawyer who visited nearby, decided to help. By the end of that summer, he had raised enough money from resort owners for the group to start building again. The Ulster Heights Synagogue officially opened with Passover services in 1924.
For the next 20 years, the synagogue was the main gathering place for the small community. After World War II, the children of the first settlers began to move away. The synagogue's membership started to shrink. But a young couple, Morris and Celia Rudin, helped turn things around. They led an effort to fix up the building. They added the ark, the chandelier, and other decorations inside. They also built the portico and the new wing, and put new siding on the outside. These changes made the Ulster Heights Synagogue look more like other rural synagogues in the area.
At the end of the 1900s, the synagogue still had about 30 members. Most of these were descendants of the original families who founded it. In recent years, it has not held services for the High Holy Days.
The synagogue also has a small cemetery. It is located on Briggs Highway in Ulster Heights.
