| Temple B'nai Abraham | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Rite | Unaffiliated |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
|
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 300 East Northfield Road,Livingston,Essex County,New Jersey 07039 |
| Country | United States |
  | |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°46′15″N74°18′05″W / 40.770795°N 74.301396°W /40.770795; -74.301396 |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 1854(as a congregation) |
| Completed |
|
| Website | |
| tbanj | |
Deliverence Evangelistic Center | |
 The former synagogue, in 2010 | |
  | |
| Location | 621 Clinton Avenue,Newark, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°43′23″N74°12′25″W / 40.72306°N 74.20694°W /40.72306; -74.20694 |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Nathan Myers |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000358 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 2007 |
| Designated NJRHP | April 1, 2010 |
| [1][2] | |
Temple B'nai Abraham is anunaffiliatedJewish congregation andsynagogue, located at 300 East Northfield Road, inLivingston,Essex County,New Jersey, in the United States.
Established inNewark in 1853 as anOrthodox (and later,Conservative)[3][4] congregation, for most of the 20th century Temple B'nai Abraham has been independent of the organized synagogue movements, describing itself as a traditional progressive congregation.[5]
Its historic 1924 building at 621 Clinton Avenue was used as a synagogue until 1973, and subsequently used as aPentecostalchurch and, since 2023, as acharter school. The former synagogue building was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2007 and was added to theNew Jersey Register of Historic Places in 2010.[2]
Temple B'nai Abraham was founded as a result of a 1853 split from Newark's first congregation, the Orthodox B'nai Jeshurun. Named in honor of Abraham Newman, most of its initial members were fromPoznań, inPoland. The congregation moved often in its early years, from 25 Academy Street (1857–1866), Union Hall, 200 Market Street (1867–1869), 65 Bank Street (1870–1883), 177 Halsey Street (1884–1889), 226 Washington Street (1890–1897), and to 487 High Street (1897–1923).[4]
The congregation engaged Nathan Myers, a Newark architect, to design its 1924 building on Clifton Avenue, completed in theClassical Revival style. Myers later designed the iconicHersch Tower inElizabeth, New Jersey.[6] In addition to thesanctuary, the Clifton Avenue complex had a large number of classrooms, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and a swimming pool.[4]
In 1973, the congregation moved to Livingston and sold the Clifton Avenue building to the Deliverance Evangelistic Center, a Pentecostal church. The former synagogue building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 2007.
With the building in need of repairs, the struggling Deliverence Evangelistic Center[3] sold the building to the People's Preparatory Charter School for $2.5 million in January 2023.[7][8]
Dr.Joachim Prinz, therabbi from 1939 to 1976, modernized the ritual and introduced his ownprayer book. Prinz, who had escaped Nazi Germany in 1937, was a vocalcivil rights leader in the United States, known globally for his moving rhetoric.[9] Prinz arranged forMartin Luther King Jr. to address the congregation in the Clinton Avenue building on January 17, 1963.[3]
Prinz was succeeded by Rabbi Barry Friedman who introduced further innovations in the services and wrote and edited the prayer book,Siddur Or Chadash. In 1999, Rabbi Clifford Kulwin became the synagogue's fourth religious leader in 98 years. Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg was appointed senior rabbi in 2019.[5][10]
| Topics | |
|---|---|
| Lists by state |
|
| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
