People

The Buffalo region has been home to a wide range of individuals associated with local Jewish communities and Jewish networks from the 1820s through to the contemporary period as immigrants, citizens, residents and locals.

Institutions

Buffalo Jews have a rich history of forming both formal and informal institutions for religious, educational, political and social needs. From synagogues to organizations, and from coordinating agencies to groups and clubs, Jewish Buffalonians have seen a changing range of institutions supported by group endeavors and community philanthropy.

Neighborhoods

In living memory, the East Side and North Buffalo stand out as physically connected and interwoven religious and commercial centers of Jewish living. In contrast to these specific areas are the mini hubs identified with Jewish living and connected to a more dispersed idea of neighborhood. Separately, suburbia with its significant geographic spread, has redefined how a series of Jewish spaces come together with a mix of hubs, focal points and networks.

Themes

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Exhibitions

Special exhibitions, through a focus on particular individuals and subjects, delves into the personal stories that have animated Jewish lives. Each digital exploration reflects on the interplay between place, identities and changing times and the way in which American, Jewish and Buffalo historical experiences are deeply interwoven.

Resources

Materials that document Jewish Buffalo in all its diversity are found in books, articles, archives and museums, many of which are available locally or online. This section highlights some of these sources and will be updated regularly.

Brith Israel Anshe Ames Synagogue building in 2017

Brith Israel Anshe Ames Synagogue building in 2017, created by Izon Productions-Don Dannecker, 2017. The image is reproduced with permission of the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.

Synagogues  /  Brith Israel-Anshe Ames

Brith Israel-Anshe Ames of North Buffalo was a merger of two former East Side synagogues neighbors: “Big Hickory Street” and “Little Hickory Street,” orthodox shuls.

Overview

Brith Israel-Anshe Ames of North Buffalo brought together two former East Side synagogues neighbors: “Big Hickory Street”  and “Little Hickory Street,” shuls, also known as Brith Israel and Anshe Emes. From the 1920s, Jewish congregations began to relocate to the Humboldt and Ferry and North Buffalo areas as their congregants moved their homes and businesses northwards. Several East Side congregations stayed, but struggled to maintain their facilities. By the beginning of the 1940s, both Brith Israel and Anshe Emes followed the trend. Brith Israel, the larger of the two, relocated to North Buffalo and rented space at 1191 Hertel Avenue, now a store. It merged with its former rival Anshe Emes in 1947. A synagogue designed by Jack Kushin was built at 1235-1237 Hertel Avenue and the merged congregation became Brith Israel-Anshe Ames. The congregation broke ground in 1953, and in January 1954 moved into the basement of their partially completed house of worship that was fully completed in 1955. 

The 390-seat building, with its yellow-tan bricks and rising façade, represents a post-WWII mid-century period of North Buffalo’s Jewish history and is the second vernacular Jewish religious building designed by Jack Kushin in the vicinity. His first design was created for Ahavas Achim-Lubavitz, on Tacoma Ave, that was commissioned for another merged congregation of two former East Side synagogues. Both synagogues were built with flat facades, a basement social hall and kitchen area and a school addition to the right of their main building. Eventually the synagogue building became a church. In 2017, Faith Good Shepherd Chapelsx sold the building to developers that planned a mixed-use venue. 

Associated Families

Some of the names of families associated with this congregation included:

  • Cohen
  • Fierstein
  • Gorsky
  • Katz
  • Krupnick
  • Menies
  • Parnes
  • Simon
  • Yasinow

Locations

Gallery

Brith Israel Anshe Ames Synagogue

Brith Israel Anshe Ames Synagogue created by Dr. Joseph Manch, Weinberg Campus Art Collection, image is reproduced with permission of the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.

Brith Israel Anshe Ames Synagogue

Articles

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We are seeking internal and external photographs, documents, film, mementos and written recollections relating to Brith Israel-Anshe Ames community for digitization. If you have materials you’d like to make available for this purpose, please contact us.
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