Edmond J. Safra Synagogue (Manhattan)
{{short description|Orthodox Sephardic synagogue in New York City}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{About|the Manhattan synagogue|similarly named synagogues|Edmond J. Safra Synagogue (disambiguation){{!}}Edmond J. Safra Synagogue}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Edmond J. Safra Synagogue
| image = WTM3 Chenumuri 0025.jpg
| image_upright = 1.4
| caption = Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Manhattan
| location = 11 East 63rd Street, Upper East Side, New York City, New York
| country = United States
| map_type = Manhattan
| map_size = 250
| map_relief = 1
| map_caption = Location in Manhattan
| geo = {{coord|40.76655|-73.97017|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation = Orthodox Judaism
| rite = Nusach Sefard
| consecration_year =
| status = Synagogue
| functional_status = Active
| leadership = Rabbi Solomon Farhi
| funded_by = Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation
| architecture =
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| architecture_type = Synagogue
| architecture_style = Beaux-Arts
| facade_direction =
| established = 2003 {{small|(as a congregation)}}
| groundbreaking =
| year_completed = 2003
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| materials = Jerusalem stone
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| website = {{url|EJSNY.org}}
}}
The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, organized by Congregation Beit Yaakov, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located on East 63rd Street off Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The congregation practices in the Nusach Sefard rite.
The synagogue is one of several that are eponymous with Edmond J. Safra (1932-1999), a banker and philanthropist, partially or fully funded by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation.{{cite web |url=https://cbe.shulcloud.com/about-us |title=About the synagogue |work=Edmond J. Safra Synagogue |location=Upper East Side, New York |date=2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.safradealnj.org |title=Home page |work=Edmond J. Safra Synagogue |location=Deal, New Jersey |date=n.d. |access-date=December 12, 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.edmondjsafra.org/religion/ |title=Selected projects: Religion |work=Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation |date=2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 }}
Development
The synagogue project was initiated by philanthropist Edmond Safra before his death in 1999, and dedicated in 2003. Safra's goal was to have a Sephardic synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side.{{cite web |url=http://spider.mc.yu.edu/news/articles/article.cfm?id=100088 |title=The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in New York City is Inaugurated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720125139/http://spider.mc.yu.edu/news/articles/article.cfm?id=100088 |archive-date=2011-07-20 |work=Yeshiva University News |date=October 1, 2003 |access-date= |author= }}
During his lifetime, Edmond J. Safra was often in New York City and spent many Shabbats in Manhattan. Noting the absence of a formal synagogue and communal center for the Sephardic Jews of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, he expressed a desire to build a central house of worship in the area. The synagogue was completed in December 2002.
Dignitaries including the Chief Rabbi of Israel and the then Mayor Michael Bloomberg attended an official inauguration of the building in October 2003.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ejsny.org/about-the-synagogue |title=About the Synagogue |website=www.ejsny.org |date= |access-date=2018-01-17 }}
Architecture
The synagogue, whose congregational name is "Congregation Beit Yaakov" after Safra's father's name, was designed by architect Thierry Despont,{{cite web |url=http://www.jerusalemgardens.com/Edmund-Safra-Synagogue.html |title=Edmund Safra Synagogue |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603152834/http://www.jerusalemgardens.com/Edmund-Safra-Synagogue.html |archive-date=2009-06-03 |work=Jerusalem Gardens |date= |access-date= }} and has been described as a "sumptuous work of Beaux-Arts revival."{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times
|title=In Synagogue Design, Many Paths |date=December 8, 2002 |accessdate=4 May 2009 |last=Dunlap |first=David W.
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/08/realestate/in-synagogue-design-many-paths.html?pagewanted=all }} The interior and facade of the building is made of Jerusalem stone quarried in Judea. The massive bronze doors with their Tree of Life motif are by American sculptor Mark Beard.{{cite web |url=http://www.chacerandallgallery.com/beard/beard.htm |title=Mark Beard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120161414/http://chacerandallgallery.com/beard/beard.htm |archive-date=2010-11-20 |date= |access-date= |work=Chacerandall Gallery }}
Due to its location in the Upper East Side Historic District, the synagogue design required approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which called it an "artful synthesis of the composition, details and material palette of the Beaux-Arts style, which plays an important role in defining the special architectural character of the Upper East Side Historic District."
Clergy
On January 31, 2017, Rabbi Elie Abadie, the first rabbi of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, was fired from his position after failing to reach a financial agreement after his contract expired{{Cite news |url=http://forward.com/news/359413/rabbinical-coup-attempt-rocks-upper-east-side-syangogue/ |title=Board Seeks to Remove Manhattan Sephardic Synagogue's Longtime Rabbi |work=The Forward |last=Nathan-Kazis |first=Josh |date=January 9, 2017 |access-date=2018-01-17}} and that negotiations with him started in 2015{{Cite news |url=http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/safra-shul-controversy-breaks-into-public-view/ |title=Safra Shul Controversy Breaks Into Public View |work=Jewish Week |last=Rosenblatt |first=Gary |date=January 4, 2017 |access-date=2018-01-17 |language=en-US |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026194431/https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/safra-shul-controversy-breaks-into-public-view/ |archive-date=2019-10-26}} had been unsuccessful.
Following the rabbi's departure in January 2017, the synagogue's name was changed to Congregation Beit Edmond and Rabbi Shlomo Farhi became the rabbi.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ejsny.org/about-the-rabbi|title=Welcome Rabbi Farhi|website=www.ejsny.org|access-date=2018-10-26}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Upper East Side|state=collapsed}}
{{Synagogues in the United States}}
Category:Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City
Category:Beaux-Arts synagogues
Category:Lebanese-American culture in New York (state)
Category:Lebanese-Jewish diaspora in the United States
Category:Orthodox synagogues in New York City
Category:Synagogues completed in 2003
Category:Synagogues in Manhattan
Category:Sephardi Jewish culture in New York City
Category:Syrian-American culture in New York City
Category:Syrian-Jewish culture in New York (state)
Category:2003 establishments in New York City