Temple B'Nai Israel (Olean, New York)
| Temple B'Nai Israel (former) | |
|---|---|
 The former Temple B'Nai Israel, in 2012 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue (1929 – 2019) |
| Status | Closed and deconsecrated |
| Location | |
| Location | 127 S. Barry Street, Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York |
  Location in New York | |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°04′34.5″N 78°25′39″W / 42.076250°N 78.42750°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | J. Milton Hurd |
| Founder | Harris W. Marcus |
| Date established | 1894 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1929 |
Temple B'Nai Israel | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000995[1] |
| Added to NRHP | January 4, 2012 |
Temple B'Nai Israel is a deconsecrated synagogue located in Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York, in the United States.[2] The synagogue was erected in 1929, closed in 2019 and was deconsecrated in December 2020;[3] the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 and has been used as a community theater since the deconsecration.[1] The B'Nai Israel Congregation that occupied the synagogue, a Conservative/Reform Jewish congregation established in 1894 as the Olean Hebrew Association, continues to operate using rented space elsewhere in Olean.[4][3]
History
[edit]The congregation was established by Harris W. Marcus, a native of Mobile, Alabama who had moved from Brooklyn and settled in Olean in 1881, establishing the first Jewish community in the region. Its attendance peaked during the World War II era as Jewish communities joined in solidarity against the ongoing Holocaust.[4] A Sefer Torah was donated in 1941 by Oscar Rosenbloom, a local merchant.[4]
The membership was down to 23 families as of 2017. B'Nai Israel continued to hold its twice-monthly regular services at the time, but it was said to be in danger of closing within a decade due to the ongoing exodus of young people from the Olean region.[5] Since deconsecrating its synagogue in 2020, it has rented space in the former Saint John's School on North Union Street for services.[3]
Heritage building
[edit]B'Nai Israel's synagogue building from 1929 to 2019 was a three- to four-story tall, light brown brick structure with terra cotta decorative details.[2] (Before the Temple was constructed, the Olean Jewish community had rented facilities to serve as a house of worship.) Built in 1929, it measures 85 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 50 feet tall.[2] The front facade features a massive arched terra cotta portal encircling a large, round stained glass window.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[1]
In July 2019, the synagogue announced that it would be closing after Yom Kippur services that fall as it sought to rent a smaller facility.[6] A zoning variance was unanimously approved in August to allow the deconsecration.[7] A Torah originally donated to the congregation was reunited with a family member of the original donor in 2019, Oscar Rosenbloom Jr., who then donated it to Camp Towonga, a Jewish youth summer camp outside Yosemite National Park in Northern California.[4] The temple was formally deconsecrated in December 2020; attendance had fallen even further by then, with only 16 families attending the high holiday services, which are the most-attended services on the calendar.[3]
The building was sold to a local community theater organization, where it is in the process of being renovated into Olean Community Theatre.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 1/03/12 through 1/06/12. National Park Service. January 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Virginia L. Bartos (October 2011). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Temple B'Nai Israel". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved April 20, 2013. See also: "Accompanying six photos".
- ^ a b c d Day-Sager, Kate (December 9, 2020). "Temple B'Nai Israel to conduct last service in synagogue Sunday". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Sacred Torah passes from Olean to youth camp in Calif". Olean Times Herald. July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ Dinki, Tom. "Dwindling B’Nai Israel congregation celebrates Rosh Hashanah", Olean Times Herald, September 21, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2018
- ^ Clark, Bob (July 8, 2019). "Olean Community Theatre eyes Temple B'Nai Israel as new home". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ "Olean Board Approves Theater Project".
External links
[edit]| Topics |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Lists by county |
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| Lists by city | ||
| Other lists |
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- Former synagogues in New York (state)
- National Register of Historic Places in Cattaraugus County, New York
- Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
- Synagogues completed in 1929
- 1929 establishments in New York (state)
- Gothic Revival architecture in New York (state)
- Gothic Revival synagogues
- Jewish organizations established in 1894
- 1894 establishments in New York (state)
- Olean, New York
- Religious organizations disestablished in 2020
- 2020 disestablishments in New York (state)
- 20th-century synagogues in the United States
- Chautauqua-Alleghany, New York Registered Historic Place stubs