| Ulster Heights Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 Front (south) elevation and east profile of building, 2008 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Ulster Heights,Catskill region,New York |
| Country | United States |
  Location inNew York | |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°46′49″N74°31′03″W / 41.78028°N 74.51750°W /41.78028; -74.51750 |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | c. 1908(as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | South |
| Materials | Wood |
| Website | |
| ckisrael | |
Ulster Heights Synagogue | |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000045 |
| Added to NRHP | February 19, 2001 |
| [1][2] | |
Ulster Heights Synagogue, formally known asCongregation Knesset Israel of Ulster Heights, is aJewish congregation andsynagogue, located at the corner of Beaver Dam and Ulster Heights roads in the Ulster Heights section of the town ofWawarsing, in theCatskill region ofNew York, in the United States.
The congregation was formed in the early 1900s and the synagogue building was built in 1924 by the earlyJewish American settlers of the southeastern Catskill region. In 2001 the synagogue building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places as a relatively intact example of avernacular rural synagogue typical of the region. Since its construction the building has been renovated and added to but it is still true to its original form. Over the years the original population of the area has dwindled and it has fewer members than it did in the early years. It has not held services on theHigh Holy Days in recent[when?] years.
The synagogue is a one-story three-by-three-bay structure, with a newer wing to the west, sided in whitevinyl, which replaced the originalclapboard. It was built of wood frame with afieldstone andmortarfoundation. The roof isgabled andshingled inasphalt. On three sides the roof has a deepcornice with returns; the front gable isparapeted.[1]
A single brickchimney comes up through the rear. The front entrance has a slightly raisedportico[1]
The interior consists of a smallvestibule leading into theauditorium, where theark is on the rear andpews surround thebimah on three sides. A wide hallway leads into the new wing, used as a community center.[1]
Originally the synagogue's interior was very plain. Somedecorative touches such as achandelier in the auditorium and awrought-ironrailing around the bimah, have been added since its construction.[1]
Jews fromEastern Europe began settling in the Catskills starting in 1900. The area of Ulster andSullivan counties due west ofEllenville andKerhonkson became a popular destination. One of these areas was Ulster Heights, in the western highlands of theTown of Wawarsing, near the Sullivan County line.[1]
The Jews who settled here and managed to make a livingdairy andpoultry farming the difficult, rocky soil were unusual in that they continued as a farming community, instead of gradually becoming aresort area like many other Jewish enclaves in the region. They held prayer services in their homes at first, gradually settling on Samuel Tannenbaum'shotel/boarding house as more families arrived.[1]
From 1908 on the group had wanted to build its own meeting place, but only in 1922 had it raised enough money to purchase the land. A foundation was built shortly afterwards, but thelumber turned out to be rotten and the group soon had just an empty hole. Samuel Kaufman, a lawyer who vacationed nearby, decided to help raise money and by the end of that summer had secured enough from resort owners for the congregation to start building again. Ulster Heights Synagogue was formally opened withPassover services in 1924.[1]
It would remain the focal point of the small community for the next two decades. As the children of the early settlers began moving elsewhere in the years afterWorld War II, it declined until a young couple, Morris and Celia Rudin, led an effort that not only reversed that trend but renovated the building, adding its ark, chandelier and other interior decor, and building the portico new wing and residing the structure. Many of these changes had the effect of making Ulster Heights more like the other rural synagogues in the area.[1]
At the end of the 20th century, the congregation still had around 30 members, mainly descendants of the original founding families. It has not held services on theHigh Holy Days in recent years.[1]
The small cemetery for the synagogue is on Briggs Highway in Ulster Heights.
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