Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont

{{short description|Orthodox synagogue located in Woodmont, Connecticut, in the United States}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = MilfordCT_HebrewCongregationOfWoodmont.jpg | image_upright = 1.4 | alt = | caption = | religious_affiliation = [[Orthodox Judaism]] | tradition = | sect = | district = | prefecture = | province = | region = | deity = | rite = | festival =  | organisational_status =  | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm | bhattaraka = | patron = | consecration_year = | status = [[Synagogue]] | functional_status = Active | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = 15-17 Edgefield Avenue, Woodmont, [[Milford, Connecticut|Milford]], [[Connecticut]] | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = | country = United States | map_type = Connecticut | map_size = 250 | map_alt = | map_relief = 1 | map_caption = Location in [[Connecticut]] | grid_name = | grid_position = | sector = | territory = | administration = | coordinates = {{coord|41|13|33|N|73|0|5|W|region:US-CT_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = {{ubl|{{nowrap|Charles H. Abramovitz}}|Jacob Schiff}} | architecture_type = Synagogue | architecture_style = [[Colonial Revival architecture|Colonial Revival]] | founded_by = | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = 1920 {{small|(as a congregation)}} | groundbreaking = | year_completed = {{Start date|1926}} | 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|jewishmilford.com}} | module = {{Infobox NRHP | embed = yes | name = Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont | nrhp_type = | added = July 21, 1995 | area = {{convert|3|acre|ha}} | mpsub = [https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64500078.pdf Historic Synagogues of Connecticut MPS] | refnum = 95000860<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> }} | footnotes = }}

The '''Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont''' is an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] [[synagogue]] located at 15-17 Edgefield Avenue, Woodmont, [[Milford, Connecticut|Milford]], [[Connecticut]], in the United States. The historic 1926 beach summer, resort synagogue was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1995.

==Historic building== The small, wood-frame, clapboard synagogue was built in the [[Colonial Revival architecture|Colonial Revival]] style typical of small New England towns for seasonal use by Jewish families who came to stay on the beach in the summer months.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/jewishheritage/2007/synagogues.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012011129/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/JewishHeritage/2007/synagogues.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |work=National Park Service |title=Historic Synagogues of Connecticut |date= |access-date= }}</ref> An adjacent social hall was built in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |author= |url=http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20121014/fire-damages-historic-milford-synagogue-torahs-shofar-are-rescued-by-firefighters |title=Fire damages historic Milford synagogue; Torahs, Shofar are rescued by firefighters |date=October 14, 2012 |work=New Haven Register |access-date= }}</ref>

In 2012, the historic building was badly damaged by a fire, caused by an electrical wiring problem.<ref>{{cite news |author= |url=http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Fire-guts-Milford-synagogue-3947784.php |title=Fire Guts Milford Synagogue |work=Connecticut Post |date=October 14, 2013 |access-date= }}</ref> A reconstruction was quickly planned to restore both the 1926 sanctuary and the adjacent 1946 social hall, which suffered minor damage.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Milford Launches Building Plan |date=February 19, 2013 |work=Community News |url=http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=24118 |access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Milford rabbi vows to rebuild after devastating fire |date=October 13, 2012 |work=Connecticut Jewish Ledger |url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2012/10/milford-rabbi-vows-to-rebuild-after-devastating-fire/ |access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.godfreyhoffman.com/Civil-Engineering-Blog/bid/284738/GHA-Lends-a-Helping-Hand-to-the-Rebuilding-of-a-Milford-Synagogue |title=GHA Lends a Helping Hand to the Rebuilding of a Milford Synagogue |website=www.godfreyhoffman.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014432/http://www.godfreyhoffman.com/Civil-Engineering-Blog/bid/284738/GHA-Lends-a-Helping-Hand-to-the-Rebuilding-of-a-Milford-Synagogue |archive-date=2014-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Rebuilding Burnt Historic Shul |date=June 25, 2013 |url=http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=25892 |access-date= }}</ref> The social hall was restored in time for the [[High Holy Days]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Milford Synagogue Works to Repair Fire Damage in Time for Holidays |date=September 3, 2013 |work=NBC Connecticut |url=http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Milford-Synagogue-Works-to-Repair-Fire-Damage-in-Time-for-Holidays-222210491.html |access-date= }}</ref>

The building was one of fifteen Connecticut synagogues added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1995<ref name=nris/> and 1996 in response to an unprecedented multiple submission, nominating nineteen synagogues.<ref>{{cite news |author=Charles, Eleanor |title=In the Region/Connecticut;15 Synagogues Gain National Landmark Status |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/07/realestate/in-the-region-connecticut-15-synagogues-gain-national-landmark-status.html?pagewanted=all |work=New York Times |date=1996-04-07 |access-date=2010-07-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=64500078}} |title=NRHP Registration Form Multiple Property Listing: Historic Synagogues of Connecticut |author=Ransom, David F. |date=1995-03-29 |access-date=2010-07-31 |publisher=National Park Service }}</ref>

==Congregation== The congregation began in 1920, meeting during the summer months in the vacation home of Rabbi Yehuda Heschel Levenberg. Ground was broken for a permanent synagogue building in 1926, and completed by the summer vacation season of 1927. A summer Sunday school opened in 1936, and a social hall was built in 1946. By the early 21st century, however, the summer population had declined and the diminished congregation hired Rabbi Schneur and Chanie Wilhelm of the [[Chabad]] movement in 2007 with the hope that they could attract enough members to make the Hebrew Congregation into a year-round synagogue. As of 2014, services were being held on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays year-round.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bagel Beach: Jewish Milford experiences a renaissance…again |date=June 13, 2012 |work=Connecticut Jewish Ledger |url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2012/06/bagel-beach-jewish-milford-experiences-a-renaissanceagain/ |author= |access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=At Historic Synagogue, A Congregation at Last |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 9, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/09templect.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |author= |access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bagelbeach.com/HCW.html |title=Bagel Beach Historical Association |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419020741/http://www.bagelbeach.com/HCW.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also== *[[National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven County, Connecticut]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website|https://www.jewishmilford.com}}

[[Category:Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut]] [[Category:Synagogues completed in 1926]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Milford, Connecticut]] [[Category:Orthodox synagogues in Connecticut]] [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in New Haven County, Connecticut]] [[Category:Colonial Revival synagogues]] [[Category:Clapboard synagogues]] [[Category:1920 establishments in Connecticut]] [[Category:Religious organizations established in 1920]] [[Category:20th-century synagogues in the United States]] [[Category:Synagogues in Connecticut]]