First Roumanian-American Congregation

First Roumanian-American Congregation
Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם, lit. 'Gates of Heaven'
The top of an arched reddish-brick entrance-way is visible. Carved into stones on the top row of the arch are the words "First Roumanian-American Congregation", all in capital letters. The arch surmounts a brown wall with a bronze Star of David on it, with a lamp hanging from the arch in front of it. Underneath the brown wall, and above the doors, are inscribed the words "Shaarey Shamoyim" in Hebrew.
Synagogue entrance in 2005, prior to its demolition
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism (former)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status
StatusClosed and demolished (2006)
Location
Location89–93 Rivington Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York
CountryUnited States
First Roumanian-American Congregation is located in Lower Manhattan
First Roumanian-American Congregation
Location of the former synagogue in Lower Manhattan
Geographic coordinates40°43′12″N 73°59′20″W / 40.72000°N 73.98889°W / 40.72000; -73.98889
Architecture
Architect(s)
TypeSynagogue
Style
Date established1885 (as a congregation)
Completedc. 1860 (164 years ago)
DemolishedMarch 3, 2006
Specifications
Direction of façadeNorth
Capacity1600–1800
Length100 feet (30 m)>
Width70 feet (21 m)
Materials
  • Foundation: stone
  • Walls: brick
  • Roof: asphalt
First Roumanian-American Congregation
Arealess than one acre
NRHP reference No.98000239
Added to NRHPMarch 12, 1998
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

The First Roumanian-American Congregation,[11] also known as Congregation Shaarey Shomayim[12] (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם, lit. 'Gates of Heaven'), or the Roumanishe Shul[13] (Yiddish for "Romanian synagogue"), was an Orthodox Jewish congregation at 89–93 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The congregation was organized in 1885[14] by Romanian-Jewish immigrants,[15][16] serving the Lower East Side's large Romanian-Jewish community.[17] The Rivington Street building, erected around 1860, switched between being a church and a synagogue and was extensively remodeled in 1889.[18] The First Roumanian-American congregation purchased it in 1902 and again remodeled it.[3]

The synagogue became famous as the "Cantor's Carnegie Hall",[19] because of its high ceiling, good acoustics,[20][5] and seating for up to 1,800 people.[7] Yossele Rosenblatt, Moshe Koussevitzky, Zavel Kwartin, Moishe Oysher, Jan Peerce and Richard Tucker were all cantors there.[21] Red Buttons sang in the choir,[5][22][23] George Burns was a member,[24] and Edward G. Robinson had his Bar Mitzvah there.[25] The congregation's membership was in the thousands in the 1940s,[26] but by the early 2000s had declined to around 40, as Jews moved out of the Lower East Side.[27] Though its building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998,[10] the congregation was reluctant to accept outside assistance in maintaining it.[28] In December 2005, water damage was found in the structural beams, and services were moved to the living room of the rabbi's mother.[29] In January 2006, the synagogue's roof collapsed,[23] and the building was demolished two months later.[6]

  1. ^ NRHP State listings: NEW YORK – New York County.
  2. ^ Dolkart (1997), p. 7.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dolkart1997s8p5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BuildingConstructed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Epstein2007p183 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Lueck20060307 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BuildingCapacity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mark20060310 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Dolkart (1997), p. 2.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NRHP980312 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ or First American-Roumanian congregation, First Rumanian-American Congregation
  12. ^ or Congregation Shaarey Shomoyim, Congregation Shaarai Shamoyim, Congregation Shaarai Shamoyim
  13. ^ or Roumaniashe Shul, Rumanische shul
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Founded1885 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Epstein2007p182 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dolkart1997s8p4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jones2005p3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dolkart1997s8pp1-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference CantorsCarnegieHall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference Barry2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cantors was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jacobs1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Moynihan2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference GeorgeBurns was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Epstein2007p249 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vitullo-Martin2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bastable2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mark20060210 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference Spitz2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).