Congregation Beth Emeth

{{Short description|Reform synagogue in New York, US}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox religious building | name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | image_upright = 1.4 | alt = | caption = | religious_affiliation = [[Reform Judaism]] | tradition = | sect = | district = | prefecture = | province = | region = | deity = | rite = | festival =  | organisational_status = [[Synagogue]] | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = | bhattaraka = | patron = | consecration_year = | functional_status = Active | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = 100 Academy Road, [[Albany, New York|Albany]], [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]], [[New York (state)|New York]] 12208 | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = | country = United States | map_type = New York | map_size = 250 | map_alt = | map_relief = 1.4 | map_caption = Location in [[New York (state)|New York]] | grid_name = | grid_position = | sector = | territory = | administration = | coordinates = {{coord|42.646776|-73.78444|region:US-NY_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = {{ubl|Adolph Fleischman {{small|(1887)}}|[[Percival Goodman]] {{small|(1957)}} }} | architecture_type = Synagogue | architecture_style = | founded_by = | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = 1885 {{small|(as a congregation)}} | groundbreaking = | year_completed = {{ubl|1887 {{small|(Lancaster & S. Swan Sts.)}}|1957 {{small|(Academy Road)}}}} | construction_cost = | date_demolished =  | facade_direction = | capacity = | length = | width = | width_nave = | interior_area = | height_max = | dome_quantity = | dome_height_outer = | dome_height_inner = | dome_dia_outer = | dome_dia_inner = | minaret_quantity = | minaret_height = | spire_quantity = | spire_height = | site_area = | temple_quantity = | monument_quantity = | shrine_quantity = | inscriptions = | materials = | elevation_m =  | elevation_footnotes = | nrhp = | designated = | added = | refnum = | delisted1_date = | website = {{URL|cbealbany.org}} | module =  | footnotes = }} '''Congregation Beth Emeth''' ([[transliterated]] from [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] as "House of Truth") is a [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] [[Jewish]] [[synagogue]] located at 100 Academy Road, in [[Albany, New York|Albany]], [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], in the United States. Established in 1885, it is the fourth oldest Reform congregation in the United States.<ref name=history>{{cite web |editor=Snyder, Patricia |url=https://images.shulcloud.com/3408/uploads/Documents/Mission--History/updatedhistory.pdf |title=Our history |work=Congregation Beth Emeth |date=n.d. |access-date=December 29, 2023 }}{{self-published inline|date=December 2023 }}</ref>

==History==

The congregation was formed in 1885 with the merger of a 'dwindling' [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] congregation, Anshe Emeth ("People of Truth") and a 'growing' Reform congregation, Beth El ("House of God").<ref>{{cite book |title=Albany architecture: a guide to the city |author=Waite, Diana S. |publisher=Preservation League of New York State |year=1993 |page=135 |isbn= }}</ref> Reform pioneer Rabbi [[Isaac Mayer Wise]] led Beth El from 1846 to 1850 where he conducted a day school which included a public school curriculum, religion & Hebrew. Due to tensions between more Orthodox congregants and the Rabbi, Anshe Emeth was created by Rabbi Wise supporters where he then led from 1850 to 1854 before relocating to [[Cincinnati]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/isaac-mayer-wise |title=Isaac Mayer Wise |work=Jewish Virtual Library |publisher= |location= |access-date= }}</ref>

In 1897 the newly merged congregation elected Dr. [[Alexander Lyons]] as the new Rabbi.

[[Martin A. Meyer]] served as rabbi from 1903 to 1906,<ref name=Encyclopedia>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9pwYAAAAIAAJ |title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc. |year=1942 |editor-last=Landman |editor-first=Isaac |editor-link=Isaac Landman |volume=7 |location=New York, N.Y. |pages=517 |language=en |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>{{rp|517}} and [[Samuel H. Goldenson]] served as rabbi from 1907 to 1918.<ref name=Encyclopedia/>{{rp|19–20}} After Rabbi Samuel the congregation was led by Rabbi Eli Mayer, Rabbi Marius Ranson, Rabbi Bernard J. Bamberger, Rabbi Samuel Wolk, Rabbi Alvin S. Roth, Rabbi Bernard H. Bloom, Rabbi Martin I. Silverman and most recently Rabbi Scott L. Shpeen.

==Architecture==

The congregation's 1887 building, located at Lancaster and South Swan Streets in Albany, is considered to be one of the few [[Oldest synagogues in the United States|surviving 19th-century synagogues]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Rediscovering Jewish Infrastructure: Update on United States Nineteenth Century Synagogues |author=Gordon, Mark W. |journal=American Jewish History |volume=84 |number=1 |year=1996 |pages=20–27 |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_jewish_history/v084/84.1gordon_tab01.html |edition=2019 article update |issn= |doi= |access-date= }}</ref> The architect was Adolph Fleischman, with the help from Isaac Perry.<ref name=Waite/> The building is in [[Richardson Romanesque]] style. As of 1993 it was the home of the [[Wilborn Temple First Church of God in Christ]].<ref name=Waite/>

In June 1953 the building committee ratified the decision to move from Lancaster and Swan to {{convert|17|acre|ha}} up town.<ref name=history/> The congregation's 1957 building was designed by [[Percival Goodman]].<ref name=Waite>{{cite book |title=Architects in Albany |author=Waite, Diana S.|publisher=Mount Ida Press |page=70 |isbn= |location= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bethemethalbany.org/webmail/history/index.cfm |title=History |work=Congregation Beth Emeth, Albany, NY |access-date=2010-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701050026/http://www.bethemethalbany.org/webmail/history/index.cfm |archive-date=2008-07-01 }}{{self-published inline|date=December 2023 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.bethemethalbany.org/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beth Emeth}} [[Category:1885 establishments in New York (state)]] [[Category:19th-century synagogues in the United States]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Albany, New York]] [[Category:Jewish organizations established in 1885]] [[Category:Percival Goodman synagogues]] [[Category:Reform synagogues in New York (state)]] [[Category:Romanesque Revival synagogues]] [[Category:Romanesque Revival architecture in New York (state)]] [[Category:Synagogues completed in 1887]] [[Category:Synagogues completed in 1957]]