Congregation Knesseth Israel (Ellington, Connecticut)
Congregation Knesseth Israel ק"ק כנסת ישראל | |
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The synagogue building of Congregation Knesseth Israel | |
![]() ![]() Shown within Connecticut ![]() ![]() Congregation Knesseth Israel (Ellington, Connecticut) (the US) | |
Basic information | |
Location | Ellington, CT, USA |
Geographic coordinates | 41°53′50.5″N 72°28′46.5″W / 41.897361°N 72.479583°WCoordinates: 41°53′50.5″N 72°28′46.5″W / 41.897361°N 72.479583°W |
Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
Rite | Ashkenazi |
Year consecrated | 1906 |
Status | Active |
Leadership |
Elias Friedman OBM, President Irving Bork, Vice-president Irene Langley, Secretary Louise Cohen, Treasurer |
Website | http://www.ellingtonshul.org |
Architectural description | |
Architect(s) | Leon Dobkin |
Architectural type | Synagogue |
Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
Completed | 1913 |
Construction cost | $1,500 |
Specifications | |
Direction of façade | East |
Length | 30 feet (9.1 m) |
Width | 40 feet (12 m) |
Materials | wood |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Added to NRHP | July 21, 1995 |
NRHP Reference no. | 95000862[1] |
Congregation Knesseth Israel, also known as the Ellington Shul, is a Modern Orthodox synagogue located at 236 Pinney Street in Ellington, Connecticut. The congregation was founded in 1906 by a group of Yiddish-speaking Jewish farmers from Russia and Eastern Europe.[2] Its building, dating to 1913, is a rare example of an early 20th-century rural synagogue in the state, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]
Architecture and history
Knesseth Israel is located in what is now a rural-residential setting south of Ellington center, on the west side of Pinney Road (Connecticut Route 286) a short way north of its junction with Middle Road. It is a modest single-story wood frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is three bays wide, with a center entrance sheltered by a gabled portico. The portico is supported by square posts, and has a Star of David in the gable. The flanking windows consist of a lower pair of sashes, and an upper transom with paired round arches applied. The interior of the building consists of one large chamber, with a bema that appears slightly oversized due to the building's small size. Because it is a single-story building, the segregated worship area for women (normally located in a second-floor gallery) is on the south side of the main space, separated by a low divider.[3]
The synagogue was built in 1913, and was originally located at the corner of Middle Rd. and Abbott Rd. in Ellington.[2] It was built in the Colonial Revival Style partly with funds from the philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch's Jewish Colonization Association.[4] In the 1954 the building was moved to its present location at 236 Pinney St.[3] The building was designed by Leon Dobkin.[1][3]
In addition to the synagogue, the congregation maintains an Orthodox Jewish cemetery within the larger Ellington Cemetery.[5][6]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue
- 1 2 3 David F. Ransom (June 6, 1994). "NRHP Registration: Knesseth Israel Synagogue". National Park Service. and Accompanying two photos, exterior and interior
- ↑ Buildings Report
- ↑ Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue
- ↑ International Jewish Cemetery Project - Connecticut