| Beth David Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 North elevation and west profile of synagogue withsukkah in front, 2008 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Dr. Jon Haddon(Emeritus) |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 3344 East Main Street (NY 343),Amenia,New York 12501 |
| Country | United States |
  Location inNew York | |
| Coordinates | 41°50′49″N73°33′17″W / 41.84694°N 73.55472°W /41.84694; -73.55472 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Style | Georgian Revivalinfluences |
| Established | c. 1920s(as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | North |
| Materials | Concrete, brick, asphalt |
| Website | |
| congbethdavid | |
Beth David Synagogue | |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000308 |
| Added to NRHP | April 8, 2002 |
| [1][2][3] | |
Beth David Synagogue, formallyCongregation Beth David, is aReformJewish congregation andsynagogue located at 3344 East Main Street (alsostate highwayNY 343) in thehamlet ofAmenia,New York, in the United States. It is a small brick European-style building erected in the late 1920s.
It was built by the area's small community ofRussian Jewish emigrants. Over the years, its membership has dwindled and it has moved from its originalOrthodox affiliation toConservative, and eventually toReform practices. It was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 2002, the only synagogue in New York east of theHudson River and north ofNew York City to be listed.
The synagogue is on a 46 by 124 feet (14 by 38 m)lot on the south side of East Main, about a quarter-mile (250 m) east of the intersection of highwaysNY 22,US 44 and NY 343 at the center of the hamlet. There are houses across the street from various eras of Amenia's existence. To the west of the synagogue is awoodlot; to the east is a 19th-century house. Rows of plantedevergreen trees set off the synagogue lot lines on east and west and a small concrete sidewalk leads to the front steps from the main sidewalk along East Main.[2]
The building is a tall one-story building on aparged concretefoundation sided in hollow tile over which a brick veneer incommon bond has been pasted andcast stone trim applied. Brickpilasters mark the corners of the north (front)facade and the three-bay side elevations. On top is agabled roof, pierced by a narrow brick chimney at the southwest, with the ends clad inasbestosshingles. It has aframe rear wing oriented perpendicularly to the main block.[2]
Three concrete steps withflagstone insets, partially covered by a woodenwheelchair ramp, lead to the front entrance. It consists of double wooden doors with a cast stone surround surmounted by a glass panel above the doors with "CONGREGATION BETH DAVID"reverse painted in gold letters on a black background. It is flanked by twosconces and tall, narrow round arched windows with a header course of bricks and cast stone lintels. Above the door is a wider round-arched double window with ablindtransom and brick arch surround. Cast stoneimpost blocks engage a horizontal stringercourse of brick in a basket-weave pattern that also engages the similar cast stonecapitals on the pilasters. A gold-coloredStar of David is in the gable field.[2]
Both east and west profiles have similar long, narrow windows in their bays, divided by pilasters topped with a plainfrieze that becomes wider with each pilaster south. Both also have a fourth bay at the south end with a different treatment. On the west it has been divided by aspandrel; on the east it is a small window that lights only the lower space.[2]
Two small windows on the upper story complete thefenestration of the main block. The older one-storyframe rear wing with shed roof and brick chimney connects with the newer addition, a gable-roofed section wider than the main block on a concrete foundation sided in asbestos shingles. It has an entrance and porch in its east end.[2]
The main entrance opens on a smallvestibule with a staircase to the upstairs gallery on the west and a bathroom on the east. Another pair of doors leads into thesanctuary, a square space with high ceiling floored in carpetedfir with plaster walls and ceiling in a two-tone color scheme. It has a traditional Orthodox layout, with a centrally locatedbimah surrounded on three sides by theatre-stylepews with individuallyupholstered fold-down seats. The pews andbimah are darkstainedpine. All face aTorah ark projecting from the rear wall, painted withmurals of candlesticks and scrolls.[2]
Atop the ark are a pair ofgiltLions of Judah holding a scroll with a hanging lighted crown above. Two stairs with electric lights on the uppernewel post lead up to thebimah. Above it is the centralchandelier.[2]
Sconces along the sides alternate with the windows, whose lower sashes havestained glass with geometric designs and Jewish symbols. Bookcases and commemorative plaques are located beneath the balcony. Another bathroom is located to the east of the balcony, which has a high solid rail.[2]
Behind the sanctuary, but not directly accessible from it, is an area with a kitchen on the first floor and the rabbi's study on the second. The smaller wing section has bathrooms and a storage room, with the larger addition given over entirely to a classroom with pasteboard walls and simple woodwork. The flooring is carpetedfir. Walls and ceilings are plaster in a two-tone color scheme.[2]
Beth David was founded by a group of 12 to 15Russian Jewish families that had settled in Amenia. Many had come there from nearbyEllsworth, Connecticut, in the eastern part of the town of Sharon, where they farmed and rented rooms to visitors from the city in summertime. By the 1920s, many had moved across the state line, as Amenia had better schools and electricity, as well as convenient rail access toNew York City via theNew York Central Railroad's Harlem Valley line. Several families went into the resort business full-time, opening their own hotels around nearby Lake Amenia.[2][4]
It was a small Jewish community compared to those that had sprung up in theCatskills, on the other side of theHudson Valley. Members at first worshiped in their homes, raising the money over several years to build their ownsynagogue. A small plot of land was donated, and thecornerstone lain on April 5, 1929, at a ceremony attended by members of the localChristian community as well. All present donated to the construction of the synagogue, raising a total of $240 ($4,000 in contemporary dollars[5]).[2][4]
The synagogue, open later that year, was originally a flat-roofed structure with lowparapets similar to those inEastern Europe. Its interior plan, with centrally locatedbimah and upstairs gallery for women, reflects that region'sOrthodox traditions, in keeping with origins of the founding families. The exterior brickwork shows someGeorgian influence.[2]
For the next two decades, the synagogue prospered along with Amenia's Jews. AfterWorld War II, in the 1950s, changes in vacationing habits led to the summer resorts closing down. Flooding afterHurricane Diane in 1955 destroyed the dam and drained Lake Amenia (nowBeekman Park), ending that industry in the area.[4] Children of the founding families left the area, taking the second generation with them. In 1960 the gabled roof was installed.[2]
By 1970 the synagogue was down to 12 members. To sustain itself in the following decades, it became firstConservative, thenReform. Despite fluctuations in membership, in 2004 the congregation celebrated the synagogue's 75th anniversary.[2][4] In 2016, Beth David is a vibrant Reform Congregation, drawing its growing membership from both permanent residents and weekenders in Dutchess and Litchfield Counties.
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