Congregation Knesseth Israel (Ellington, Connecticut)

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]

Congregation Knesseth Israel
ק"ק כנסת ישראל
The synagogue building of Congregation Knesseth Israel
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteAshkenazi
LeadershipElias Friedman OBM, President
Irving Bork, Vice-president
Irene Langley, Secretary
Louise Cohen, Treasurer
Year consecrated1906
StatusActive
Location
LocationEllington, CT, USA
Shown within Connecticut
Congregation Knesseth Israel (Ellington, Connecticut) (the United States)
Geographic coordinates41°53′50.5″N 72°28′46.5″W
Architecture
Architect(s)Leon Dobkin
TypeSynagogue
StyleColonial Revival
Completed1913
Construction cost$1,500
Specifications
Direction of façadeEast
Length30 feet (9.1 m)
Width40 feet (12 m)
Materialswood
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHPJuly 21, 1995
NRHP Reference no.95000862[1]
Website
http://www.ellingtonshul.org

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. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue
  3. David F. Ransom (June 6, 1994). "NRHP Registration: Knesseth Israel Synagogue". National Park Service. and Accompanying two photos, exterior and interior
  4. Buildings Report
  5. Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue
  6. "International Jewish Cemetery Project - Connecticut". Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2006-11-19.
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