East Midwood Jewish Center

Not to be confused with East Meadow Jewish Center.

East Midwood Jewish Center
East Midwood Jewish Center in Brooklyn, in 2008
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
Leadership
  • Rabbi Matt Carl
  • Rabbi Alvin Cass (Emeritus)
  • Cantor Sam Levines
StatusActive
Location
Location1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
CountryUnited States
East Midwood Jewish Center is located in New York City
East Midwood Jewish Center
Location in Brooklyn, New York City
Geographic coordinates40°37′21″N 73°57′20″W / 40.6224°N 73.9555°W / 40.6224; -73.9555
Architecture
Architect(s)
  • Irving Warshaw
  • Louis Allen Abramson
  • Maurice Courland
TypeSynagogue
StyleRenaissance Revival
Date established1924 (as a congregation)
Groundbreaking1926
Completed1929; 95 years ago (1929)
Construction cost$1 million (today $18 million[1])
Specifications
Direction of façadeWest
Capacity
  • 800 (main floor)
  • 150+ (balcony)
Width155 feet (47 m)
Dome(s)2
MaterialsSteel frame, masonry, buff and red brick, limestone, copper domes
Website
emjc.org
East Midwood Jewish Center
NRHP reference No.06000478
Added to NRHPJune 7, 2006
[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

The East Midwood Jewish Center is a Conservative synagogue located at 1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States.

Organized in 1924,[12] the congregation's Renaissance revival building that was completed in 1929 typified the large multi-purpose synagogue centers being built at the time,[11] and was from the 1990s until 2010 the only synagogue with a working swimming pool in Brooklyn.[5] The building has been unmodified architecturally since its construction,[5] and in 2006 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

Membership dropped during the Great Depression, and the synagogue suffered financial hardship, but it recovered, and by 1941 had 1,100 member families. In 1950 the congregation built an adjoining school; at its peak its enrollment was almost 1,000.[2] As neighborhood demographics changed in the late 20th century, and Brooklyn's Jewish population became more Orthodox, the East Midwood Jewish Center absorbed three other Conservative Brooklyn congregations.[13]

The East Midwood Jewish Center had only three rabbis from its founding until 2014.[14] Reuben Kaufman served from 1924 to 1929, Harry Halpern from 1929 to 1977 and Alvin Kass from 1976 to 2014.[2] In 2014, Matt Carl became the rabbi.[3]

  1. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c History, East Midwood Jewish Center website.
  3. ^ a b Staff, East Midwood Jewish Center website.
  4. ^ New York Times, November 18, 1957.
  5. ^ a b c NRHP Continuation Sheet, Section 7, p. 1.
  6. ^ a b National Register of Historic Places Listings, June 16, 2006.
  7. ^ NRHP Continuation Sheet, Section 7, p. 4.
  8. ^ NRHP Continuation Sheet, Section 7, p. 5.
  9. ^ NRHP Continuation Sheet, Section 7, p. 6.
  10. ^ NRHP Continuation Sheet, Section 7, p. 2.
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kaufman259 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference NRHPS8P2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference NRHPS8P4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kass200606 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).