Congregation Am Tikvah

Congregation Am Tikvah
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
RiteConservative and Reform
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
LeadershipRabbi Chayva Lehrman
StatusActive
Location
Location625 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco, California 94132
CountryUnited States
Geographic coordinates37°42′49″N 122°28′29″W / 37.713723°N 122.474835°W / 37.713723; -122.474835
Architecture
TypeSynagogue architecture
Date established2021 (merged congregation)
– 1949: B’nai Emunah
– 1969: Beth Israel-Judea
  • 1860 (as Beth Israel)
  • 1953 (as Temple Judea)
Completed
  • 1879 (BI: Turk Street)
  • 1891 (BI: Geary Street #1)
  • 1908 (BI: Geary Street #2)
  • 1964 (TJ: Brotherhood Way)
  • 1976 (BE: Taraval Street)
Website
amtikvah.org
[1][2]

Congregation Am Tikvah (transliterated from Hebrew as "People of Hope") is a combined Conservative and Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 625 Brotherhood Way in San Francisco, California, in the United States.[3][4] The congregation was formed in 2021 as the result of the merger of the Conservative B'nai Emunah and the Reform Beth Israel Judea congregations,[5] with the latter formed in 1969 through a merger of the Conservative Congregation Beth Israel and the Reform Temple Judea.[6]: 62–63  The congregation is affiliated with both the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Beth Israel was founded in 1860 as an Orthodox congregation.[7]: 188  Members worshiped in leased premises, first on Sutter Street, and then a larger space on Mission Street.[6]: 62  In 1879 the congregation completed its first building on Turk Street, but soon outgrew it, and in 1891 constructed a new synagogue building on Geary Street. In 1908 it constructed a larger synagogue building on Geary Street, where it remained until 1969. By this time the congregation had moved to Conservative Judaism.[6]: 63 [8]: 212–213  The congregation's rabbis were M. Wolf (1860–1874), A. (Nahum) Streisand (1874–1878), Aron J. Messing (1878–1890), Meyer Solomon Levy (1890–1916), Herman Lissauer (1916–1926), and Elliot M. Burstein (1927–1969).[6]: 63 [9] Joseph Rabinowitz was cantor from 1891 to 1943.[8]: 212–213 

B'nai Emunah was founded in 1949 by mostly German Jews who had fled to Shanghai in the late 1930s. After World War II, some of the Shanghai Jews settled in San Francisco.[10]

Temple Judea was founded in 1953, the first Reform synagogue built in San Francisco in almost 125 years. Its first rabbi was Robert W. Shapiro, and he was succeeded by Irving Reichert and then Herbert Morris in 1962. In 1964 Temple Judea completed a synagogue building at 625 Brotherhood Way.[2][6]: 63 

Beth Israel and Temple Judea merged in 1969 as Congregation Beth Israel-Judea, adopting practices from both congregations, and moving to Temple Judea's building. Morris became the rabbi of the combined congregation, and Burstein became rabbi emeritus.[6]: 63  Morris retired in 1998, was succeeded by Evan Goodman. Goodman left in 2006, and was succeeded by Rosalind Glazer.[2][11]

Beth Israel-Judea and B'nai Emunah congregations merged in 2021, affiliating with both the Conservative and Reform organizations and worshiping in the former Beth Israel-Judea synagogue building, located on Brotherhood Way. Rabbi Sami Barth was appointed as interim rabbi during the merger;[5] and, in 2023, Rabbi Chayva Lehrman was appointed to lead the merged congregation.[1]

  1. ^ a b Ilsley-Greene, Lillian (June 5, 2023). "Emotional ceremony marks end of B'nai Emunah as Torah scrolls are carried to their new home". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference History was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Contact Us". Beth Israel Judea. Archived from the original on July 15, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2010.[self-published source?]
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference URJwebsite was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Wilensky, David A.M. (December 16, 2020). "Mazel tov — it's a merger! Two historic San Francisco synagogues become one". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Olitzky, Kerry M.; Raphael, Marc Lee (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-28856-2.
  7. ^ Kahn, Ava Fran (2002). Jewish Voices of the California Gold Rush: A Documentary History, 1849–1880. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-2859-0.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Rosenbaum2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Landman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Mirsky, Maya (August 17, 2022). "75 years ago this week: San Francisco was 'Port of Hope' for Jewish refugees from Shanghai". JWeekly. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Wall, Alexandra J. (May 31, 2006). "After 13 years in Bay Area, Rabbi Goodman heads for N.Y." J. The Jewish News of Northern California.