Jump to content

Beth El Synagogue (Newfoundland)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beth El Synagogue
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
LeadershipPresident: Michael Paul[1]
StatusActive
Location
Location124 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Geographic coordinates47.58002° N, 52.71750° W
Architecture
Completed1961[2]

Beth El Synagogue is a Conservative synagogue in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the only synagogue in Newfoundland, and the easternmost synagogue in North America.[1]

The Hebrew Congregation of Newfoundland was founded in 1909 as an Orthodox[3] congregation meeting in rented spaces in town. The earliest members were Jews from the United States; later, many Russian Jews who had defected from the Soviet Union became members during the Cold War.[2] The current synagogue building at the corner of Elizabeth and Downing was constructed from 1959 to 1961,[2] and features include an open courtyard.[4] Edmond de Rothschild was made an honorary member of the synagogue in 1966 for his contributions to its construction. In 2001, the building underwent extensive renovations.[2]

As of 2008, the congregation had 25 member families. The president was Dr. Michael Paul.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "National Synagogue Directory 5769/2008–2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-11-28. (620 KB), Canadian Jewish Congress Charities Committee, 2008, p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d Newfoundland Archived December 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic Jewish Council website. Accessed November 28, 2010.
  3. ^ "St. John's, NL – Atlantic Jewish Council".
  4. ^ "Synagogues". Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 16, 2011.