Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom

The Temple - Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom is a Reform synagogue located in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally the Adath Israel Temple, it adopted its current name following a merger, but is more commonly known by the informal name The Temple. Prior to merging, the congregations resided in several buildings, with the Adath Israel Temple's third synagogue listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For similarly named synagogues, see Adath Israel.
The Temple - Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom
Religion
AffiliationReform Judaism
Location
Location5101 US Hwy 42, Louisville, Kentucky 40241[1]
Shown within Kentucky
Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom (the United States)
Geographic coordinates38.291°N 85.631°W / 38.291; -85.631

History

The congregation, the oldest in Kentucky, was chartered in 1842 and has occupied six buildings.[2] It is a founding member of the Union for Reform Judaism.[3]

Brith Sholom—Louisville's third oldest synagogue—was organized in 1880.[4] It was established for those wishing to pray in German, rather than the English used in Adath Israel. It joined the Reform movement in 1920.[3]

In 1976, Adath Israel merged with Brith Sholom.[5] This was motivated by the desire of both groups to improve their physical facilities and to relocate to the eastern part of Jefferson County. For a few years after it was organized as Adath Israel Brith Sholom, it held services in the Brith Sholom building. In 1980, the congregation was able to move into its new sanctuary on Brownsboro Road.[6]

First site

The congregation built a synagogue on Fourth Street in 1849, which a fire destroyed in 1866.[5]

Second site

In 1868, the congregation built a new temple at Broadway and Sixth Street.[5] The elaborate domed synagogue was created in an Orientalist style that featured twin towers topped by tall domes and a Torah Ark with a horseshoe arch topped by a similar dome. The architect was H. P. Bradshaw.[7]

Third site
Adath Israel Temple
Front and southern side
Location834 S. 3rd St., Louisville, Kentucky
Coordinates38°14′35″N 85°45′27″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1905
ArchitectMcDonald Brothers
Architectural styleGrecian Ionic
NRHP reference No.74000882[8]
Added to NRHPDecember 31, 1974

The congregation's third building was informally known as the "Third Street Synagogue". The Greek Revival structure[5] was designed by architects Kenneth McDonald and J.F. Sheblessy[9] and dedicated on June 3, 1906. The neo-classical building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as a result of the strength and prestige of the architects. In 1977, it was sold to the Greater Bethel Temple,[10] an Apostolic Church.[11]

Brith Sholom Temple sites

Brith Sholom first owned a building at First and Walnut Streets,[12] which it sold to Congregation Anshei Sfard in 1903 when it moved to Second and College Streets. It moved to the Bonnycastle Mansion at Cowling and Maryland Avenues in 1949.[5][12]

Merged site

In 1980, the congregation moved to Brownsboro[6] and Lime Kiln Roads[13] with land purchased in 1966.[5] The temple was built by a joint venture between managing partners Arrasmith & Rapp and Joseph & Joseph.[13]

References
  1. "Contact • the Temple - Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom". 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  2. Temple Adath Israel: Louisville, KY, Jewish Postcards, National Museum of American Jewish History website via Wayback Machine. Accessed March 08, 2010.
  3. "The Temple - About Us". Archived from the original on 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  4. "Louisville". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  5. Kleber, John E. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 448, 875. ISBN 9780813128900.
  6. Lee Shai Weisbach, Synagogues of Kentucky: History and Architecture, University Press of Kentucky, 1995, p. 29.
  7. Lee Shai Weisbach, Synagogues of Kentucky: History and Architecture, University Press of Kentucky, 1995, p. 62.
  8. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  9. Gregory A. Luhan, Dennis Domer, David Mohney, The Louisville Guide, Princeton Architectural Press, 2004, p. 191
  10. Hedgepeth, Marty Lyn Poynter (1981). The Victorian to the Beaux-arts: A Study of Four Louisville Architectural Firms, McDonald Brothers, McDonald & Sheblessy, Dodd & Cobb and McDonald & Dodd. University of Louisville. pp. 40, 41, 93.
  11. Luhan, Gregory; Domer, Dennis; Mohoney, David (2004-09-09). The Louisville Guide. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 191. ISBN 9781568984513.
  12. Weissbach, Lee Shai (2015-01-13). The Synagogues of Kentucky: Architecture and History. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 41, 42, 94, 95. ISBN 9780813148021.
  13. Luhan, Gregory; Domer, Dennis; Mohoney, David (2004-09-09). The Louisville Guide. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 332. ISBN 9781568984513.
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