Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum
Encyclopedia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, houses the oldest surviving 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...
building in the District. It was erected in 1876 by the Adas Israel Congregation
Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, D.C.)
Adas Israel, located in the Cleveland Park neighborhood, is the largest Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C.-History:The congregation was founded in 1869 by 69 members of the Washington Hebrew Congregation who objected to that congregation's move towards Reform Judaism.Sermons were given in...
. The museum is operated by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. The museum's executive director is Laura Apelbaum.
The museum building 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...
, the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites, and Historic American Buildings Survey. It is among the oldest synagogue building
Oldest synagogues in the United States
The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
s still standing in the United States.
It is also an official project of the Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
program.
History
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
attended the synagogue's dedication on June 6, 1876 — the first Jewish service attended by a sitting U.S. president. Originally located at 6th and G Streets NW, the building was moved to its current location three blocks away in 1969. It is slated for a second move so that the property can be redeveloped for a mixed-use project. Its new permanent home will be at Third and F Streets NW, slightly closer to the building's original location. The new move will allow the synagogue to face east, the standard orientation in Jewish tradition.