Beth Sholom Congregation is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 1011 North Market Street, in Frederick, Maryland, in the United States.
| Beth Sholom Congregation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Jordan Hersh |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 1011 North Market Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701 |
| Country | United States |
  Location in Maryland | |
| Geographic coordinates | 39°25′40″N 77°24′29″W / 39.4278026°N 77.4080764°W |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 1919 (as a congregation) |
| Completed |
|
| Website | |
| bethsholomfrederick | |
History
editFrederick Hebrew Congregation was founded in Frederick City in c. 1840. Services were initially held in the homes of its early members before moving to the masonic temple. On October 7, 1917, Beth Sholom Synagogue was incorporated with the mission of furthering the cause of Judaism and to build a synagogue for the congregation in Frederick.[1] The first synagogue was built in Brunswick, Maryland, the same year.[2] For several years, religious services were held in a room in a Masonic Temple.[3] Members donated $18,000 for the renovations of a former Elks Club building on West Second Street in order to make it suitable as a synagogue.[3][4]
On September 2, 1923, the synagogue was dedicated.[3][5] Rabbi Menahem J. Friedman was the congregation's spiritual leader at the time of the dedication, although he resigned later than month and moved to Baltimore.[3][4][6] Rabbi W. Willner succeeded Rabbi Friedman.[7]
Beth Sholom built a community center in Frederick in 1984.[2] The community center was intended for the preschool, religious school, youth activities, and social activities.[2] A new, larger community center was opened in 1994.[2][8]
Rabbinical leaders
editYehuda E. Perkins was the rabbi in 1959.[9]
Rabbi Morris Kosman, a Detroit native who had served as the congregation's spiritual leader since 1961, retired and assumed emeritus status in 2010.[10][11] Kosman died October 22, 2016.[12][13]
Rabbi Murray Singerman became the congregation's new spiritual leader in 2010.[10] After a year and a half, Singerman resigned, and Beth Sholom was served until July 2014 by a visiting rabbi from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York under the Gladstein Fellowship program,[14] Rabbi Jordan Hersh and his wife, Cantor Shulie Hersh. Rabbi Hersch is an alumnus of Rabbis without Borders.[15] In July 2014, Rabbi Hersh was appointed as the permanent rabbi of Beth Sholom.[16] Rabbi Hersh is also the only chaplain in Maryland's Army National Guard; he was called to serve and protect the Capitol in the wake of the insurrection on January 6, 2021.[17]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Frederick To Have Synagogue". The Baltimore Sun. October 9, 1918. p. 3.
- ^ a b c d "History". Beth Sholom Congregation. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.[self-published source?]
- ^ a b c d "Jewish Synagogue Here Is Dedicated". The Daily News (Frederick, Maryland). p. 2.
- ^ a b "Rabbi Friedman Quits Frederick". The News (Frederick, Maryland). September 24, 1923. p. 1.
- ^ Weissbach, Lee Shai (2005). Jewish life in small-town America a history. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 184. ISBN 9780300127652.
- ^ "Rabbi Returns to City". The Baltimore Sun. September 26, 1923. p. 26.
- ^ "Hebrews to Observe Day of Atonement: Special Service to Be Held in Beth Sholom Synagogue This Evening". The News (Frederick, Maryland). October 7, 1924. p. 2.
- ^ Hernandez, Nelson (October 9, 2005). "A Fresh Start on Fertile Ground". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ County, Historical Society of Frederick (2007). Frederick County revisited. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. p. 44. ISBN 9780738552583.
- ^ a b "Kosman retiring from Frederick shul". Jewish Times. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020.[dead link]
- ^ Cassie, Ron (September 18, 2009). "Rabbi to assumed emeritus status at year's end". Frederick News Post.
- ^ "Spiritual Leadership". Beth Sholom Congregation. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.[self-published source?]
- ^ Frey, David (November 4, 2016). "Remembering Rabbi Morris Kosman, longtime spiritual leader of Beth Sholom Congregation". The Frederick News-Post. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ^ Feiler, Alan H. "In The Short Run: Rabbi resigns from Frederick's largest Jewish congregation". Baltimore Jewish Times. pp. 15–16.
- ^ "Rabbis Without Borders". Rabbis Without Borders. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Leadership". Beth Sholom Congregation. n.d. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.[self-published source?]
- ^ Cramer, Philissa. "'Something holy about this space': The rabbi on guard at the US Capitol". Times of Israel. Retrieved January 19, 2021.