Synagogues  /  Temple Beth Israel

Overview

Temple Beth Israel origins lie in the East Side and the incorporation of two separate synagogues in the early 1920s. A small group of Orthodox Jews led by Joseph Rosenblatt, an East Side baker by trade, wanted an orthodox congregation in the vicinity of Elmwood Avenue, near where they lived. The nearest synagogue on the West Side, Temple Beth El, that had moved to Conservative Judaism was increasing too modern in custom, and more traditional minded Jews in the Elwood area founded Temple Beth Israel in 1919, meeting near Ashburn and later at Saint Andrews Scottish club at 509 Lafayette Ave. This group splintered in 1921 part of the group retained the name of Temple Beth Israel with them, and the other grouping became Congregation Beth Abraham.

Both congregations were heavily impacted first by the Great Depression and by the movement to North Buffalo and the suburbs. In the 1950s, Temple Beth Israel merged with Congregation Beth Abraham and made their joint congregational home at 1073 Elmwood Ave. Both 1045 Elmwood Avenue and 1073 Elmwood Ave were built in the 1910s as Colonial Revival frame buildings with mainly double hung wood windows. 1073 Elmwood Avenue had formerly been the home of Elmwood Chapel of the United Brethren in Christ. A section at the back of the main sanctuary was allocated as the women’s section, rather than a separate Ladies Gallery that distinguished the 1045 Elmwood Avenue site. In 1957, the consolidation of the two congregations was formalized with Oscar Smuckler as counsel for Beth Israel and Maurice Yellen for Beth Abraham.