Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue
Encyclopedia
Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue is located on Glen Wild Road, Sullivan County
Route 58, in the unincorporated community of Glen Wild
, New York, United States. It is a small Orthodox
synagogue
built in the early 1920s for a congregation established during the previous decade.
It was founded by a local family and has never had its own rabbi
. The synagogue is preserved virtually intact from the time of its construction and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1999.
building on a concrete foundation
with stucco
siding and a gable
d roof shingled
in asphalt. A four-bay addition projects from the rear. The west (front) facade
features a porch with bell-shaped roof supported by two round wooden columns rising from a concrete stoop. The porch's entablature
features the name of the synagogue and a Star of David
. Both sides and the original rear wall feature large round-arched windows with colored and opaque glass.
The ornately paneled wooden doors, surmounted by a colored fanlight
, open onto a small vestibule
. The remainder of the original block is used for the sanctuary
, a barrel-vaulted square room. A chandelier
hangs from the intersection of two iron tie rod
s at the bottom of the vault. The floor layout of the sanctuary follows Orthodox tradition, with the centrally-located bimah
surrounded by pew
s with curved end panels on three sides, all of which face the Torah ark at the rear. Two or three have been set aside as the women's gallery.
Turned wooden posts on the elaborately decorated ark support a pediment
ed roof, where two carved, gilt
Lions of Judah
hold a scroll with the Ten Commandments
topped by a large gilt crown. Both the ark platform and bimah are made of paneled wood with square posts.
like other Jews in the area. Since he had been a shochet
, or ritual animal slaughterer, he helped establish the small congregation, of 13 members at first, in 1913.
Worshippers met in his house for over a decade before they began to talk about building a synagogue. A small parcel of land was acquired, and cornerstone
s were laid in 1921. Local contractor
Jim Couch and Sons, neighbors of the Jaffes, handled the construction. The finished building, completed in 1923, reflects some characteristics of Sullivan County's Christian churches such as the gabled roof, but the window treatments and stucco finish link it to other synagogues of the period in the area, such as Hebrew Congregation of Mountaindale
and South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Synagogue
.
In 1955 a congregant, Louis Rosenblatt, donated money for the construction of the rear wing, to be used as a social hall. This has been the only change made to the building since 1923.
Since Anshei Glen Wild was a small congregation, it never hired its own rabbi
. Simon Jaffe, a schoolteacher, conducted services and taught congregants' children Hebrew
. His family continues to maintain the synagogue, although services are infrequent. The two dozen members focus much of their efforts on maintaining the nearby cemetery.
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
Route 58, in the unincorporated community of Glen Wild
Thompson, New York
Thompson is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 14,189 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Thompson, an early settler.The Town of Thompson is in the southeast part of the county....
, New York, United States. It is a small Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
built in the early 1920s for a congregation established during the previous decade.
It was founded by a local family and has never had its own rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. The synagogue is preserved virtually intact from the time of its construction and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1999.
Building
The synagogue is a single-story three-by-four-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
building on a concrete foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
siding and a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in asphalt. A four-bay addition projects from the rear. The west (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
features a porch with bell-shaped roof supported by two round wooden columns rising from a concrete stoop. The porch's entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
features the name of the synagogue and a Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
. Both sides and the original rear wall feature large round-arched windows with colored and opaque glass.
The ornately paneled wooden doors, surmounted by a colored fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
, open onto a small vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
. The remainder of the original block is used for the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, a barrel-vaulted square room. A chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
hangs from the intersection of two iron tie rod
Tie rod
A tie rod is a slender structural unit used as a tie and capable of carrying tensile loads only.- Subtypes and examples of applications :* In airplane structures, tie rods are sometimes used in the fuselage or wings....
s at the bottom of the vault. The floor layout of the sanctuary follows Orthodox tradition, with the centrally-located bimah
Bimah
A bimah A bimah A bimah (among Ashkenazim, derived from Hebrew בּמה , almemar (from Arabic al-minbar) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve the place where the person reading aloud from the Torah stands during the Torah reading...
surrounded by pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s with curved end panels on three sides, all of which face the Torah ark at the rear. Two or three have been set aside as the women's gallery.
Turned wooden posts on the elaborately decorated ark support a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed roof, where two carved, gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
Lions of Judah
Lion of Judah
The Lion of Judah was the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible .-Lion of Judah and Judaism:...
hold a scroll with the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
topped by a large gilt crown. Both the ark platform and bimah are made of paneled wood with square posts.
History
As in other areas of Sullivan County, Jews began coming to the region, first to vacation and later to stay, around the turn of the 19th century. Among the early arrivals to the Glen Wild area, in 1904, were Simon Jaffe and his family, of Lithuanian descentLithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
like other Jews in the area. Since he had been a shochet
Shechita
Shechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws...
, or ritual animal slaughterer, he helped establish the small congregation, of 13 members at first, in 1913.
Worshippers met in his house for over a decade before they began to talk about building a synagogue. A small parcel of land was acquired, and cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
s were laid in 1921. Local contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
Jim Couch and Sons, neighbors of the Jaffes, handled the construction. The finished building, completed in 1923, reflects some characteristics of Sullivan County's Christian churches such as the gabled roof, but the window treatments and stucco finish link it to other synagogues of the period in the area, such as Hebrew Congregation of Mountaindale
Hebrew Congregation of Mountaindale Synagogue
The Hebrew Congregation of Mountaindale Synagogue is located along Sullivan County Route 55 near the south end of the hamlet of Mountaindale, New York, United States. It is a small stucco building dating to 1917, expanded slightly in the 1930s. The interior is notable for its heavy use of...
and South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Synagogue
South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Synagogue
-External links:**....
.
In 1955 a congregant, Louis Rosenblatt, donated money for the construction of the rear wing, to be used as a social hall. This has been the only change made to the building since 1923.
Since Anshei Glen Wild was a small congregation, it never hired its own rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. Simon Jaffe, a schoolteacher, conducted services and taught congregants' children Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. His family continues to maintain the synagogue, although services are infrequent. The two dozen members focus much of their efforts on maintaining the nearby cemetery.