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"AMERICAN SYNAGOGUES: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY"

 

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> > ALABAMA SAMPLE PAGE < <

 

The Jewish Community of Alabama traces its beginnings to the first settlement in the state founded in 1702 on Mobile Bay. Among these early settlers were French and Portuguese Jews. The first permanent Jewish settlement occurred in Mobile in the 1820's and by June 22, 1841, the small group of Jewish families took the first step toward the organization of a congregation and purchased land for a consecrated Jewish burial ground.  The congregation, whose name translates at "Gates of Heaven," was officially incorporated by the State of Alabama on January 25, 1844 with fifty-two families.

 

The first synagogue in Alabama was dedicated in 1846 and Mendes da Silva became the congregation's first rabbi. By 1855 the congregation had grown to seventy-five families. During these early years, the congregation was composed primarily of Jews of German descent with a sizeable number of Jews of Sephardic heritage.  In 1878, Congregation Sha'arai Shomayim in Mobile became one of the earliest congregation in the United States to join the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, later to become the Union for Reform Judaism. 

 

Other early Jewish Communities were established in Huntsville in 1850 and Montgomery in 1849. Additional Jewish congregations were formed in the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which were located in small towns. Today Jewish congregations can be found in Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Selma. The present Jewish population in Alabama is approximately 9,000.

 

 

 

'Click' on Thumbnail Photographs for the Larger Image

 

 

 

Temple Beth El

1301 Quintard Avenue - Anniston, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1888  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2005 & 2007

Style of Architecture: Romanesque Revival-Eclectic  ♦  Current Building: 1891/3 

Photographs 1-3 By Huey Bible   ♦  Photographs 4-5 By Julia McKenzie Hodges

This is the oldest synagogue structure in the state continuously and currently being used for Jewish worship

 

                       

 

 

 

 

Congregation Beth El

134 Cary Drive - Auburn, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1989  ♦  Affiliation: Conservative Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Julia McKenzie Hodges

Style of Architecture: Modern/Functional  ♦  Current Building: 1992

Sanctuary Interior Photograph Courtesy of Jon Freedman & Congregation Beth El

 

           

 

 

 

 

Congregation Beth El

2179 Highland Avenue - Birmingham, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1901  ♦  Affiliation: Conservative Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991

Style of Architecture: Moorish Byzantine Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1926

 

     

 

 

 

 

Congregation Knesseth Israel

3225 Montevallo Road - Birmingham, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1891  ♦  Affiliation: Orthodox Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991

Style of Architecture: Functional/Modern   ♦  Former Building: 1955

The only Orthodox synagogue in Alabama. In 2007 the Congregation relocated to their new building at 3100 Overton Road

 

     

 

 

 

 

Temple Emanu-El

2100 Highland Avenue - Birmingham, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1882  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991 & 2007

Style of Architecture: Classical Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1914

Photographs By Author and By Janet Dancer

Temple Emanu-El is one of Alabama's largest and most well-known Jewish Congregations

 

                 

 

 

 

 

Temple B'nai Jeshurun

406 North Main Avenue - Demopolis, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1858  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007

Style of Architecture: Colonial Revival/Functional  ♦  Former Building: 1893 - Remodeled in 1956

Photographs & Data Courtesy of Jack Koch and R.A. "Bobby" Pritchett

Synagogue closed in 1989 and is maintained by Trinity Episcopal Church across the street.

Plans are for the former synagogue to be turned into a local Jewish history museum

 

                       

 

 

 

 

Temple Emanu-El

188 North Park Avenue - Dothan, Alabama

Congregation Established Prior to 1929  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Angela M. Harrell

Style of Architecture: Classical Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1951

 

     

 

 

 

 

Temple B'nai Israel

210 Hawthorne Street - Florence, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1906  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism   ♦  Photographs: 2007

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern  ♦  Current Building: 1954

Photographs Courtesy of:  Frances Webb, Pat Mahan & Steve Cooper

 

                             

 

 

 

 

Congregation Beth Israel

761 Chestnut Street - Gadsden, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1903  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism   ♦  Photographs: 2007

Style of Architecture: Classical Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1922

Interior Photographs By Allan Morris of Congregation Beth Israel  ♦  Exterior Photographs By Julia McKenzie Hodges

 

                           

 

 

 

 

Temple B'nai Shalom

103 Lincoln Street - Huntsville, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1876  ♦  Affiliation - Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Julia McKenzie Hodges

Style of Architecture: Romanesque Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1899

 

           

 

 

 

 

Etz Chaim - Huntsville Conservative Congregation

7705 Bailey Cove Road - Huntsville, Alabama

Congregation Established in the late 1960's  ♦  Affiliation - Conservative Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Julia McKenzie Hodges

Style of Architecture: Rustic/Contemporary   ♦  Current Building: ????

 

           

 

 

 

 

Temple Emanuel

1501 Fifth Avenue, South - Jasper, Alabama

Congregation Established ca. 1920  ♦  Affiliation - Reform Judaism  ♦  Photograph: 2007 By Marie Boue' Young

Style of Architecture: Classical Revival  ♦  Former Building: ca. 1922

The temple closed in 2005 due to declining membership and now meets at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham.

It is not known what the building is currently being used for.

 

 

 

 

 

Congregation Ahavas Chesed

705 Regents Way - Mobile, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1894  ♦  Affiliation: Conservative Judaism  ♦  Photographs: ca. 2006 & 2007

Style of Architecture: Modern-Contemporary   ♦  Current Building: 1990

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern   ♦  Former Building: 1956 - 1717 Dauphin Avenue

 Photographs By Steve Olensky of Congregation Ahavas Chesed and By Mrs. Perilla Wilson

The former Dauphin Avenue Synagogue is now a Senior Center

 

 

                             

 

 

 

 

 

Congregation Sha'arai Shomayim - Springhill Avenue Temple

1769 Springhill Avenue - Mobile, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1844  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Mrs. Perilla Wilson

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern  ♦  Current Building: 1955

Congregation Sha'arai Shomayim is the oldest existing Jewish Congregation in the State of Alabama

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

Congregation Agudath Israel - Etz Chaim

3525 Cloverdale Road - Montgomery, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1902  ♦  Affiliation: Conservative Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern  ♦  Current Building: 1957

Congregation Agudath Israel merged with Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation in 2001to form the present Congregation

 

                

 

 

 

 

Temple Beth Or

2246 Narrow Lane Road - Montgomery, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1849  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism   ♦  Photographs: 1991 & 2007

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern  ♦  Current Building: 1962

Photographs By Author and By Julia McKenzie Hodges

 

                

 

 

 

 

Etz Chaim Sephardic Synagogue

725 Augusta Street - Montgomery, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1912  ♦  Affiliation: Sephardic Judaism  ♦  Photograph: 1991

Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern  ♦  Former Building: 1962

Etz Chaim Sephardic Synagogue merged with Agudath Israel Congregation in 2001 (see above). The present use is not known.

 

 

 

 

 

Mishkan Israel Congregation

503 Broad Street - Selma, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1867  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991

Style of Architecture: Romanesque Revival  ♦  Current Building: 1899

 

     

 

 

 

 

Tri-Cities Jewish Congregation - Temple B'nai Israel

Atlanta Avenue & 8th Street - Sheffield, Alabama

Congregation Established in 1906  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 2007 By Frances Webb

Style of Architecture: Vernacular Revival  ♦  Former Building: 1908

Congregation is now located in adjacent Florence, Alabama - see listing above. Former building is now a church.

 

                           

 

 

 

 

Temple Emanuel

2320 East Skyland Boulevard - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Congregation Established post 1930  ♦  Affiliation: Reform Judaism  ♦  Photographs: 1991

Style of Architecture: Modern/Contemporary  ♦  Current Building: 1972

The current Congregation of Temple Emanuel traces its origins to the Jewish settlers in Tuscaloosa in the 1880's.

Created through the merger of the small Reform & Conservative synagogues in Tuscaloosa after 1930.

 

     

 

 

 

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