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Congregation Knesseth Israel, also known as the Ellington Shul, is a Modern Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 236 Pinney Street in Ellington, Connecticut, in the United States.

The congregation was founded in 1906 by a group of Yiddish-speaking Jewish farmers from Russia and Eastern Europe.[2] Its building, dating to 1913, is a rare example of an early 20th-century rural synagogue in the state, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]

Architecture and history

Knesseth Israel is located in what is now a rural-residential setting south of Ellington center, on the west side of Pinney Road (Connecticut Route 286) a short way north of its junction with Middle Road. It is a modest single-story wood-frame structure, with a hip roof and clapboarded exterior. Its main facade is three bays wide, with a center entrance sheltered by a gabled portico. The portico is supported by square posts, and has a Star of David in the gable. The flanking windows consist of a lower pair of sashes, and an upper transom with paired round arches applied. The interior of the building consists of one large chamber, with a bema that appears slightly oversized due to the building's small size. Because it is a single-story building, the segregated worship area for women (normally located in a second-floor gallery) is on the south side of the main space, separated by a low divider.[3]

The synagogue was built in 1913, and was originally located at the corner of Middle Rd. and Abbott Rd. in Ellington.[2] It was built in the Colonial Revival Style partly with funds from the philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch's Jewish Colonization Association.[4] In the 1954 the building was moved to its present location at 236 Pinney St.[3] The building was designed by Leon Dobkin.[1][3] The building was one of fifteen Connecticut synagogues added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995[1] and 1996 in response to an unprecedented multiple submission, nominating nineteen synagogues.[5][6]

In addition to the synagogue, the congregation maintains an Orthodox Jewish cemetery within the larger Ellington Cemetery.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue". Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  3. ^ a b c Ransom, David F. (June 6, 1994). "NRHP Registration: Knesseth Israel Synagogue". National Park Service. and Accompanying two photos, exterior and interior
  4. ^ Buildings Report
  5. ^ Charles, Eleanor (April 7, 1996). "In the Region/Connecticut;15 Synagogues Gain National Landmark Status". New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  6. ^ Ransom, David F. (March 29, 1995). "NRHP Registration Form Multiple Property Listing: Historic Synagogues of Connecticut". National Park Service. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  7. ^ "Congregation Knesseth Israel - Ellington CT. Eastern Connecticut's Orthodox Synagogue". Archived from the original on October 5, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
  8. ^ "International Jewish Cemetery Project - Connecticut". Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved November 19, 2006.

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