Temple Emanu-El was founded in 1845 and was the first reform jewish congregation in New York City. It's landmark building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is the largest Jewish house of worship in the world. It's current spirtual leader is Senior Rabbi Doctor David M. Posner .

Philosophy

See reform judaism, as Emanu-El is the preeminent example of that movement.

History

The original congregation of 33 members met beginning in April of 1845 in a rented hall near Grand and Clinton streets in Manhattan's lower east side, which was then the jewish section. At that time the service was very traditional. The Temple (as it was known) moved several times as the congregation became larger and more prosperous.

In October of 1847 a building at 56 Chrystie Strett was purchased from a church. In 1848 prayer books were printed in German (the vernacular for the congregants). Instrumental music has been used since 1849. In 1853 the tradition of calling congregates to the torah was abolished, and that has been done by the rabbis (except for young people becoming Bar Mitzvah).

In 1854, with a move to a building on 12th street, more changes were made, including allowing families to sit together (instead of having the male and female people sit in separate sections as had been the case). The congregation also then decided to celebrate Rosh Hashonah for only one day after much debate.

In 1857, after Merzbacher's death, the German speakers were still a majority of the congregation, and they hired Samuel Adler from German to be their next rabbi.

In 1868, Emanu-El built a new building for the first time, at 43rd street and 5th Avenue after raising about six hundred fifty thousand dollars (a very large sum of money in 1868).

The congregation hired its first English speaking rabbi, Dr. Gustave Gottheil, in 1873, from Manchester, England.

In 1888, Joseph Silverman is the first American born rabbi to officiate at the temple. He was a member of the second class to graduate from Hebrew Union College.

More changes discarding traditional rituals were made in the 1870s and 1880s such as praying without covering the head and not having a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. The Union Prayer book was adopted in 1895.

Emanu-El merged with Temple Beth El on April 111927, and in fact both are considered to be equally parents of the current Emanu-El. The construction of the current Temple building began about that time, and was completed in the fall of 1929.

Well known members

• Adolph S. Ochs
• Solomon Loeb
• Oscar S. Straus
• Louis Marshall
• Felix M. Warburg
• Irving Lehman
• Lewis L. Strauss
• Herbert H. Lehman
• Eliot Spitzer

Links

• http://www.emanuelnyc.org/