Temple Anshe Amunim (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
| Temple Anshe Amunim | |
|---|---|
 Temple Anshe Amunim | |
| Basic information | |
| Location |
26 Broad Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts,  United States |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°26′31″N 73°15′15″W / 42.44194°N 73.25417°WCoordinates: 42°26′31″N 73°15′15″W / 42.44194°N 73.25417°W |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership |
Rabbi Joshua Breindel Rabbi Emeritus Harold I.Salzmann Esther Benari-Altmann, Education Director |
| Website | ansheamunim.org |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Henry Blatner |
| Completed | 1964 |
Temple Anshe Amunim is a Jewish synagogue located at 26 Broad Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.[1] Since 1904, Anshe Amunim has been affiliated with Reform Judaism. Anshe Amunim is the fourth-oldest Reform congregation in the New England region. As of 2015, Anshe Amunim has served the Jewish community of the Berkshires continuously for 145 years.[1]
History
Society Anshe Amunim was founded by 25 families in Pittsfield in November 1869. In 1887, the Temple’s Sunday School program was developed, which would evolve into the modern day Religious School program.
In addition to participating in the Central Berkshire CHAI Religious School Initiative, Anshe Amunim hosts a once-weekly religious education program for children, which expanded significantly in the Fall of 2012 (during which the school celebrated its 125th anniversary).[2] Esther Benari-Altmann, an attorney with two decades of experience in Jewish education, was hired in September 2012 as Anshe Amunim's Education Director.[3]
The Temple’s High School students participate in YACHAD, a joint youth activities/social action program conducted with high school students from neighboring Congregation Knesset Israel.[4]
The Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society was established in 1882, which would later become the Women for Reform Judaism.[5] In 1932, the Temple’s Men’s Club was established.
The rise in population in the Berkshires in the 1950s due to the presence of General Electric and subsequent rise in membership led the Temple to seek new property to construct a new building. In 1959, the England and Blau families donated property to the Temple on the corner of Wendell Avenue and Broad Street in Pittsfield. The new Temple building, designed by Henry Blatner, was dedicated by Rabbi Harold I. Salzmann in August 1964, and it has since won many architectural awards and has been featured in several publications for its unique features, which include a domed synagogue and golden ark.[6]
In 2015, Anshe Amunim embarked on a capital campaign to address accessibility needs and aesthetic upgrades of its physical plant. The campaign, called "L'Dor Vador: From Generation to Renovation", is raising money to construct an enclosed elevator, handicapped accessible bathrooms, improve the accessibility of the outside of the building, and complete other aesthetic improvements to the sanctuary, chapel, and building.
Anshe Amunim is home to the annual Hilda Vallin Feigenbaum Memorial Foundation Lecture, established by Dr. Armand Feigenbaum and Dr. Donald Feigenbaum in honor of their mother. The lecture has featured distinguished speakers such as Julian Bond, Steven Emerson, Mara Liasson, and Eleanor Clift.[7] The 2014 Lecture, the 47th of the annual series, featured BBC World News Anchor/Political Analyst Katty Kay as the keynoted speaker. When Donald Feigenbaum died in March 2013, an endowment was established by the Hilda Vallin Feigenbaum Foundation so that the lecture series will continue in perpetuity.
Anshe Amunim maintains burial space both in Pittsfield Cemetery and the congregation’s property on Churchill Street in Pittsfield.[8]
Rabbi Joshua Breindel, a graduate of Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts, has served as the Temple’s Rabbi since 2009, and Rabbi Harold I. Salzmann, who led the congregation as senior Rabbi for 30 years from 1954 to 1984, serves as Rabbi Emeritus.[9]
Anshe Amunim is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.[10]
References
- 1 2 Temple Home Page. Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ Family Education. Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ Education Director. Accessed August 28, 2012.
- ↑ YACHAD. Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ WRJ Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ Our Building. Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ Feigenbaum Lecture. Accessed August 28, 2012.
- ↑ Cemetery. Accessed May 3rd, 2012.
- ↑ Temple Clergy. Accessed June 15, 2012.
- ↑ / Anshe Amunim URJ Listing. Accessed June 15, 2012.