Congregation Agudath Sholom

{{short description|Modern Orthodox synagogue and historic former synagogue in Stamford, Connecticut, US}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Congregation Agudath Sholom

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| religious_affiliation = Modern Orthodox Judaism

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| organisational_status = Synagogue

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| leadership = {{ubl|Rabbi Daniel Cohen|Rabbi Moshe Kurtz {{small|(Assistant)}}}}

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| functional_status = Active

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| location = 301 Strawberry Hill Avenue, Stamford, Connecticut 06902

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| country = United States

| map_type = Connecticut

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| map_caption = Location of the current synagogue in Connecticut

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| coordinates = {{coords|41.0705927|-73.5336742|region:US-CT_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}}

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| architecture_type = Synagogue

| architecture_style = {{nowrap|Romanesque Revival {{small|(1941)}}}}

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| established = 1889 {{small|(as a congregation)}}

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| year_completed = {{ubl|1908 {{small|(Greyrock)}}|1941 {{small|(Grove Street)}}|{{nowrap|1965 {{small|(Strawberry Hill Ave.)}}}}}}

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| website = {{url|congregationagudathsholom.org}}

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| name = Agudath Sholom Synagogue (former)

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| image = Agudath_Sholem_Synagogue_at_Grove_Street.gif

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| caption = The former Agudath Sholom Synagogue, now Baptist church building with the original façade and Star of David in the rose window

| coordinates = {{coords|41|3|18|N|73|32|1|W|region:US-CT_type:landmark|display=inline}}

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| location = 29 Grove Street, Stamford, Connecticut

| added = May 11, 1995

| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500078|title=Historic Synagogues of Connecticut MPS}}

| refnum = 95000561

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| footnotes = {{NRISref|2008a}}

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Congregation Agudath Sholom (transliterated from the Hebrew for "association (or guild) of peace") is a Modern Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue located at Strawberry Hill Avenue, in Stamford, Connecticut, in the United States.

The congregation's second building, at 29 Grove Street, was vacated in 1965 and subsequently converted into a Christian church, called the Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. This former synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 as part of a multiple property listing of fifteen historic synagogues in Connecticut.

History

On September 7, 1889, twenty-two members formally declared themselves as "Agudath Sholom Synagogue," meaning "association of peace" or "guild of peace." The congregation constructed their first synagogue, the Greyrock Synagogue, from 1904 through 1908. The congregation used the building until February 1932 when the Greyrock Synagogue was destroyed in a fire.

= Grove Street building =

Image:StamfordCT FormerAgudathSholem StarOfDavidWindow.jpg

Located at 29 Grove Street in Stamford, Connecticut, the Agudath Sholom Synagogue was the second synagogue of the congregation. The ground breaking occurred on September 12, 1933, and the final dedication was on April 27, 1941.{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=95000561}} |title=Agudath Sholom Synagogue |publisher=National Park Service |date=11 May 1995 |accessdate=29 January 2014}}{{efn|According to the congregation's website, the Agudath Sholom Synagogue was completed in 1938 and the "Chanukkat Habayit dedication occurred on the High Holidays."{{cite web |url=http://www.congregationagudathsholom.org/history.htm |title=History of Congregation Agudath Sholom |work=Congregation Agudath Sholom |accessdate=29 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121022/http://www.congregationagudathsholom.org/history.htm |archive-date=2014-02-02 | url-status=dead }}{{self-published-inline|date=January 2024}}}} The construction delayed by funding difficulties that resulted from the Great Depression. The synagogue is a rectangular brick building constructed on a high basement. The building features a prominent rose window depicting the Star of David.

The Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church now uses the Grove Street synagogue.{{cite news|last=Attanasio |first=Cedar |url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ct/Fairfield/state.html |title=Connecticut – Fairfield County |work=National Register of Historic Places |accessdate=29 January 2014}}

= Grove Street building significance =

While it was originally a synagogue, the Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church continues to use the building as a church, however this did not impact the "National Landmark" status bestowed upon the building. For the National Register of Historic Places, it was submitted under Criterion C because it was "Constructed as a Jewish house of worship, located in an urban setting, exhibits integrity of design and workmanship and constructed prior to 1945."{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=95000561}} |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration, Multiple Property Listing, Historic Synagogues of Connecticut: Agudath Sholom Synagogue / Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church|date=August 29, 1994 |author=Ransom, David F. |publisher=National Park Service}} (pages 102-110) and {{NRHP url|id=95000561|title=Accompanying two photos, exterior|photos=y}}

The former Agudath Sholom Synagogue building on Grove Street was one of fifteen Connecticut synagogues added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and 1996 in response to an unprecedented multiple submission, nominating nineteen synagogues.{{cite news |author=Charles, Eleanor |title=In the Region/Connecticut: 15 Synagogues Gain National Landmark Status |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/07/realestate/in-the-region-connecticut-15-synagogues-gain-national-landmark-status.html?pagewanted=all |work=New York Times |date=1996-04-07 |access-date=2010-07-31 }}{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=64500078}} |title=NRHP Registration Form Multiple Property Listing: Historic Synagogues of Connecticut |author=Ransom, David F. |date=1995-03-29 |access-date=2010-07-31 |publisher=National Park Service }}

= Strawberry Hill Avenue building =

In order to meet the demands of its growing congregation, funds were raised for a new synagogue; and in February 1963 it was announced that $860,000 had been raised, against a goal of $1.2 million.{{cite news |title=none |work=Sunday Herald |date=17 February 1963}} In 1965, the congregation completed and dedicated a new synagogue at 301 Strawberry Hill Avenue.{{cite book |title=The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |author=Olitzky, Kerry |author-link=Kerry Olitzky |year=1996 |page=81 |isbn= }}

Senator Joe Lieberman's family were long-time members of Agudath Sholom, and his funeral was held there. He was buried in the congregation's cemetery, alongside his parents.{{cite web |last=Chatelain |first=Ryan |title='How lucky we were to have him': Former, current senators honor Lieberman at funeral |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/03/29/sen--joe-lieberman-funeral |date=1 April 2024 |accessdate=1 April 2024}}

Notes

References

External links

{{oweb|http://www.congregationagudathsholom.org/}}
{{oweb|http://www.faithtabct.org/ |Official website of the Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church}}

Category:1889 establishments in Connecticut

Category:20th-century synagogues in the United States

Category:Baptist churches in Connecticut

Category:Buildings and structures in Stamford, Connecticut

Category:Churches in Stamford, Connecticut

Category:Jewish organizations established in 1889

Category:Modern Orthodox synagogues in the United States

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut

Category:Romanesque Revival architecture in Connecticut

Category:Romanesque Revival synagogues

Category:Synagogues completed in 1908

Category:Synagogues completed in 1941