Honesdale’s Congregation Beth Israel Celebrates 175 Years!

By LA Guzda and Rabbi Elliott A. Kleinman              

The oldest continually operating synagogue in the United States in its original building.

In 1849, Honesdale was a growing town thanks to coal, lumber and granite industries. It was then that eleven men met in a small home on Main Street to pledge the formation of a Jewish congregation. Shortly after that September meeting, the community borrowed a Torah scroll from New York for its first service – held on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) – at the home of F.G. Waller and led by Louis Millhauser. It is a tribute to these individuals of clear conscience, fine ideals, and strong character that Congregation Beth Israel stands today. Eight years later, in September 1856, the first services were held in the congregation’s new building on Court Street.

In 1850, a Torah scroll and a burial ground were purchased, but it was not until April 6, 1852, that the leaders instituted a constitution, began to keep written records, and elected Samuel Frankel as president and William Weiss as treasurer.

That same year, Rabbi Kutner was engaged as the congregation’s spiritual leader, also serving as cantor, teacher, and shochet (ritual slaughterer) – all for $150 a year. In 1852, his salary was increased to $200, and in 1853, at his request, the growing congregation approved a raise of $30.

In March 1856, thanks to the intervention of Mr. R.F. Lord, Chief Engineer of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, the company donated a building lot, 39X150 feet on Court Street, on which a synagogue was to be constructed. During the construction, money ran short, and again Mr. Lord came to the rescue with a personal donation—and a proviso. The story goes that he asked that a steeple be added to the building. This practice was not traditional for synagogues, but, as he remarked: “What is a church without a steeple?” Locally, indeed, the synagogue was often referred to as “the Jewish Church.”

In 1860, the congregation’s wives formed a Woman’s Society, which later became the Hebrew Ladies Aid and, still active, today is known as the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Israel. Through their generosity, the women presented the first melodeon or reed organ to the congregation in 1882.

The outbreak of the Civil War came in the early years of the congregation. In June 1865 the minutes show a request from the Lincoln Memorial Society to the congregation, and a contribution was duly sent. Although there is no explicit listing of members who served in the military at the time, members were known to have fought in the war, including one at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Members of the congregation have always served in the armed forces, defending and protecting the United States, and were among Honesdale’s finest who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the two World Wars and were among the first responders killed in the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City.

For the next six decades, through triumph and tragedy, the synagogue on Court Street continued to serve as a refuge and anchor for the area’s Jewish community. Then came the night of May 23, 1942, when a devastating flood descended on Honesdale, seriously damaging the congregation’s building. Many of today’s residents have vivid memories of the destruction that swept away most of the town’s riverbank structures. Standing among the ruins, slightly askew on its foundation, a large hole in its side, the historic stained glass windows washed out, and the inside completely destroyed was, of course, the indestructible Congregation Beth Israel.

The beautiful stained glass windows have recently been restored. Under the leadership of Rabbi Elliot Kleinman, Congregation Beth Israel will be celebrating this milestone anniversary throughout the year. The Wayne County Historical Society has curated a fascinating exhibit documenting the history of our Jewish neighbors.

For more information about Congregation Beth Israel, visit:

congregationbethisraelhonesdale.org.

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