Knesseth Israel Congregation (Birmingham, Alabama)

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Coordinates: 33°28′03″N 86°44′10″W / 33.46750°N 86.73611°W / 33.46750; -86.73611
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Knesseth Israel Congregation
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
StatusActive
Location
Location3793 Crosby Drive Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Alabama 35243
CountryUnited States
Knesseth Israel Congregation (Birmingham, Alabama) is located in Alabama
Knesseth Israel Congregation (Birmingham, Alabama)
Location in Alabama
Geographic coordinates33°28′03″N 86°44′10″W / 33.46750°N 86.73611°W / 33.46750; -86.73611
Architecture
Architect(s)Jeffrey S. Fowler, Evan Terry Associates
TypeSynagogue
General contractorBirmingham Hallmark Builders
Date established1889 (as a congregation)
Completed2007
Website
kicong.org

Knesseth Israel Congregation (abbreviated as KI) is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located at 3793 Crosby Drive Mountain Brook, in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States. The congregation was formed in 1889. Eytan Yammer, a graduate of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, served as rabbi from 2010 through 2016 and was named by The Forward as one of its 33 most inspiring American rabbis in 2015.[1]

Since 2021, the congregation has been led by lay members.

History[edit]

After incorporating in 1889,[2]: 8  the first building for the congregation was constructed in 1903 at cost of $15,000 on the southwest corner of 17th Street North and 7th Avenue North,[2]: 15  Birmingham at the heart of what was then a Jewish neighborhood populated by immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe.

In 1955 the congregation moved to a then-remote site at 3225 Montevallo Road in what is now Mountain Brook.[2]: 46  A pillar erected in the yard of the $200,000 synagogue on Montevallo Road (which was considered incomplete, with further plans for a 1200-1500 seat sanctuary)[2]: 49  was intended to serve as the cornerstone of a more permanent building. A second phase, adding a social and recreational wing, was undertaken in 1969.[2]: 61 

In May, 1984, then Rabbi Harry (Tzvi) Rosen (who went on to edit Kashrus Kurrents for the Star-K) discovered that one of the torahs had been stolen from the synagogue. While talking with local police about the theft, he received a phone call asking for ransom money to return the torah scroll, at which point the police called in the FBI. While the investigation was ongoing, early the following month the Rabbi received another phone call indicating that the missing torah had been found in a Salvation Army donation bin.[2]: 64–65 

Knesseth Israel, facing deteriorating conditions in their synagogue, began moving forward with plans for a new building in 2003,[2]: 155  taking up the suggestion of relocating to the site of the former Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church on Overton Road. The congregation hoped to take advantage of the high value of the Montevallo Road property, which faces the Birmingham Country Club golf course, to help finance the move, which brought them within a few blocks of the Bais Ariel Chabad Center and strengthening ties within Birmingham's Orthodox Jewish community.[3] The congregation voted in December 2005 to make the move and raised $5.4 million in donations. Of the nearly 100 families in Knesseth Israel at the time, many walked to Sabbath services so the decision required them to find new homes in the Overton neighborhood straddling Mountain Brook and Cahaba Heights.[4]

Stained-glass window of Knesseth Israel Congregation, Birmingham, AL by Andrea Lucas

The new 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) brick building was completed in Fall 2007. On November 11, 2007 the congregation held a celebratory procession to the new building, carrying the congregation's six Torah scrolls. The new facility includes a sanctuary, a smaller chapel, a mikvah for ritual immersion, an outdoor permanent Sukkah structure, offices, classrooms, library, social hall, playground, and two separate kitchens for the preparation of kosher meals. It also features a 50 square foot rose style stained glass window designed and fabricated by local artist Andrea Lucas.[5][6] Across the street a new house was also built for the KI rabbi.

However, in July 2012 the congregation, faced with debts arising from a disappointing return on their former property (which was only sold after the nationwide collapse of the real estate market during the Financial crisis of 2007–08), put the new Overton Road building up for sale.[7][8] Birmingham Jewish Federation president Jimmy Filler contacted prominent community members Fred and Brenda Friedman about the possibility of helping the congregation remain in place by purchasing the building. The result was the establishment of the Fred and Brenda Friedman Center for Jewish Life which hosts events and programs for several Jewish organizations while also providing a temporary home for Knesseth Israel.[9]

In 2022, the congregation moved to the present location in Mountain Brook.[10]

Services and programs[edit]

In February 2012, an eruv covering two square miles of Mountain Brook and Cahaba Heights was erected by Rabbi Yammer[11] (with the Halachic guidance of Rabbi Yaakov Love). As of January 2015, the congregation has a daily morning Shacharit service in combination with the Chabad Center (Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays at Chabad; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at KI), regular Shabbat and Holiday services followed by a full kiddush lunch, and Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services weekly. There is also an education program for young children held on Sunday mornings and multiple weekly adult learning programs.

In popular culture[edit]

Elderly members of the Knesseth Israel Congregation appeared in the 1990 music video for "Minyan Man", recorded by Lenny Solomon and Shlock Rock.[12]

Leadership[edit]

Rabbis[edit]

The following individuals have served as rabbis:

Ordinal Office holder Term begin Term end Time in office Notes
1 Rev. M. Herman 1891 1891 0 year
2 M. Grosberg 1897 1899 1–2 years
3 Rev. Rabbi Yasgour 1904 1904 0 year
4 J. T. Loeb 1909 1913 3–4 years
5 Rev. A. Feinsilver 1913 1918 4–5 years
6 Rev. Jacob Mendelsohn 1918 1920 1–2 years
7 Solomon Katz 1921 1922 0–1 year
8 Rev. David Stein 1923 1924 0–1 year
9 Abraham Chaimovitz 1925 1926 0–1 year
10 H. A. Laibovitz 1926 1930 3–4 years
11 Abraham Bengis 1930 1933 2–3 years
− Isadore Sperling 1933 1934 0–1 year Lay leader
12 Alex Klein 1937 1941 2–3 years
13 Louis Werfel 1942 1943 0–1 year
14 Joseph Goldberg 1943 1946 2–3 years
15 Jonathan Silberberg 1949 1955 5–6 years
16 David Tamarkin 1955 1957 1–2 years
17 Seymour Atlas 1959 1962 2–3 years
18 Nahum Ben Nathan 1963 1967 3–4 years
19 Moshe Stern 1968 1980 11–12 years
20 Harry (Tzvi) Rosen 1980 1987 6–7 years
21 Reuven Tradburks 1987 1994 6–7 years
22 Meir Rosenberg 1995 1997 1–2 years
23 Avraham Shmidman 1998 2007 8–9 years
24 Karmi Ingber 2007 2009 1–2 years
− Eldad Zamir 2009 2009 0 years visiting Rabbi for High Holidays
25 Eytan Yammer 2010 2016 5–6 years
26 Moshe Rube 2017 2022 4–5 years [13]

Notable members[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Rabbis 2015". The Forward. 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bonfield, Barbara Goldstein (2012). Knesseth Israel: Over 123 Years of Orthodoxy in Birmingham, Alabama, 1889-2012. Birmingham, Alabama: CSeacoast Publishing. ISBN 9781594210921. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Garrison, Greg (September 17, 2004). "Knesseth Israel plans to rebuild". Birmingham News.
  4. ^ Wolfson, Hannah (October 1, 2006). "Knesseth Israel moving to Overton Road". Birmingham News.
  5. ^ Garrison, Greg (November 24, 2007). "New Knesseth Israel Orthodox synagogue opens in Birmingham". Birmingham News.
  6. ^ "Pelham artist crafts stained-glass window for Birmingham synagogue". Blog.al.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. ^ "Staying alive: Birmingham's Knesseth Israel won't have to leave its new building". Southern Jewish Life. June 6, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  8. ^ Garrison, Greg (July 9, 2012). "Orthodox synagogue for sale: Knesseth Israel in Birmingham puts campus on the market for $5.5 million". Birmingham News.
  9. ^ "Knesseth Israel Congregation". Bhamwiki.com. January 3, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  10. ^ "Birmingham's Knesseth Israel building sold, congregation moving to rabbi's house". Southern Jewish Life. July 28, 2022.
  11. ^ "Eruv is Now Up in Birmingham". Southern Jewish Life. March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Minyan Man – Shlock Rock Feat. The Maccabeats! [Music Video]". thejewishinsights.com. May 7, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  13. ^ "Rabbi Rube leaving Knesseth Israel". Southern Jewish Life. August 22, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Elovitz, Mark H. (2003). A Century of Jewish Life In Dixie: The Birmingham Experience. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0817350217. Knesseth Israel Congregation ... Among the venerable teachers were ... and Philip Birnbaum.

External links[edit]

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