Park Avenue Synagogue

Park Avenue Synagogue
Hebrew: אגודת ישרים
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
RiteAshkenazic
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
Leadership
  • Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
  • Rabbi Neil Zuckerman
  • Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky
  • Cantor Azi Schwartz
Year consecratedMarch 27, 1927
StatusActive
Location
Location50 East 87th Street
MunicipalityManhattan
StateNew York
CountryUnited States
Geographic coordinates40°46′52″N 73°57′28″W / 40.781217°N 73.957878°W / 40.781217; -73.957878
Architecture
TypeSynagogue
StyleMoorish
Date established1882 (as a congregation)
Completed1927
Website
www.pasyn.org

The Park Avenue Synagogue (Hebrew: אגודת ישרים, romanized: Agudat Yesharim, lit. 'The Association of the Righteous') is a Conservative Jewish congregation at 50 East 87th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York. Founded in 1882, the congregation is one of the largest congregations in the United States.[1]

History

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The congregation was founded in 1882 as the Reform congregation, "Temple Gates of Hope", by a group of German Jews.[2] After several mergers, the congregation took the Hebrew name "Agudat Yesharim", and later petitioned the state of New York to change the official name of the congregation to "Park Avenue Synagogue" in 1923. In 1927, the present Moorish-style building on East 87th Street was constructed.[3] By the 1930s, the congregation changed its affiliation from Reform Judaism to Conservative in order to accommodate the merger of the congregation with several other congregations containing large numbers of Eastern European Jews.

Since July 2008, the synagogue has been led by Senior Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD. In 2009, Cantor Azi Schwartz joined as Senior Cantor.[4] As of July 2013, Rabbi Neil Zuckerman and Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky joined the team. The congregation has been led by notable rabbis including Milton Steinberg and Judah Nadich.[5][6]

Architecture

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The synagogue’s grand Moorish-style sanctuary on East 87th Street was dedicated on March 27, 1927, in a ceremony attended by then-mayor Jimmy Walker.[3] The ornate building was added onto in 1954 and again in 1980, with a six-story structure extending west to Madison Avenue.

In 2014, Park Avenue Synagogue undertook a renovation and expansion led by MBB Architects and Judaica artist Amy Reichert,[7] beginning with a master plan for the 87th Street facilities and a newly acquired building on 89th Street.[8][9] The Eli M. Black Lifelong Learning Center, located in a 1912 Neoclassical townhouse, was dedicated in 2017.[3] The main synagogue house on 87th Street, re-dedicated in 2019, was renovated to include community gathering areas, two new dedicated prayer spaces, a glassed-in stair, and the display of modern stained-glass panels designed by American artist Adolf Gottlieb.[7][10][11]

Notable members

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References

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  1. ^ "Our Mission & History | Park Avenue Synagogue". pasyn.org. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  2. ^ Olitzky, Kerry M.; Raphael, Marc Lee (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-3132-8856-2.
  3. ^ a b c Silow-Carroll, Andrew (December 10, 2019). "Park Ave. Synagogue Celebrates A $96 Million Expansion". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  4. ^ "Azi Schwartz". Park Avenue Synagogue. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Brostoff, Marissa (March 19, 2010). "A New Leaf". Tablet. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  6. ^ Green, David B. (August 26, 2013). "This Day in Jewish History 2007: Highest-ranking WWII Jewish Chaplain Dies". Haaretz. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Burnham, Mary; Reichert, Amy (June 2019). "The Spiritual Union of Architecture and Art". Faith and Form: The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture. 52 (2). Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "For New York's Growing Synagogue, MBB Creates Urban Community, Expands Campus". Design Raid. October 16, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "History". Park Avenue Synagogue. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  10. ^ "MBB celebrates synagogue renovation". Real Estate Weekly. January 2, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Magalhaes, David (May 30, 2021). "Modern Lighting Transforms Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan". Daily Design News. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
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