Keneseth Israel (Louisville, Kentucky)

{{Short description|Synagogue in Louisville, Kentucky}} {{For|the synagogue in Philadelphia|Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel (Philadelphia)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Keneseth Israel | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Keneseth Israel Synagogue in Louisville.jpg | image_upright = 1.4 | alt = | caption = Keneseth Israel Congregation | religious_affiliation = Conservative Judaism | tradition = | sect = | district = | prefecture = | province = | region = | deity = | rite = | festival =  | organisational_status =  | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = Rabbi Ben Freed | bhattaraka = | patron = | consecration_year = | status = Synagogue | functional_status = Active | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = 2531 Taylorsville Road, Louisville, Kentucky | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = | country = | map_type = Kentucky | map_size = 250 | map_alt = | map_relief = 1 | map_caption = Location in Kentucky | grid_name = | grid_position = | sector = | territory = | administration = United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism | coordinates = {{coord|38|13|26.6|N|85|40|29.5|W|type:landmark_region:US-KY|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = Joseph & Joseph (1928) | architecture_type = Synagogue | architecture_style = | founded_by = | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = {{nowrap|1882 {{small|(as a congregation)}}}} | groundbreaking = | year_completed = {{ubl|1901 {{small|(E. Jefferson Street)}}|1928 {{small|(East Jacob Street)}}|1964 {{small|(Taylorsville 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|kenesethisrael.com}} | module =  | footnotes = }} '''Keneseth Israel''' is a Conservative synagogue located at 2531 Taylorsville Road, Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. The congregation's original synagogue building was constructed in Louisville in 1928. It was designed by Joseph & Joseph and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name=kleber>{{cite book |first=John E. |last=Kleber |title=The Encyclopedia of Louisville |publisher=University of Kentucky Press |page=458 |year=2001 |ISBN=0813121000}}</ref><ref>{{NRHP url |id=82001559 |title=National Register of Historic Places nomination form}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=University of Louisville Libraries Digital Collections |url=http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm/search/field/title/searchterm/Keneseth |publisher=University of Louisville Libraries |accessdate=29 June 2016}}</ref> The original synagogue building suffered extensive damage in a fire in 2021 and after a structural assessment, was demolished.<ref>{{cite web |title=Demolition of Old Keneseth Israel |url=https://jewishlouisville.org/picture-this-demolition-of-old-ki/ |work=jewishlouisville.org |accessdate=16 January 2023}}</ref>

==History== The congregation was founded in 1882 as an Orthodox congregation, B'nai Jacob, and merged with another Orthodox congregation, Beth HaMedrash HaGadol in 1926 to create Keneseth Israel Congregation.<ref name=kleber/> In 1928, the congregation had a synagogue built at 232–236 East Jacob Street in Louisville. The congregation moved to its current home in 1964.<ref name=Weisbach>{{cite book |first=Lee Shai |last=Weisbach |title=Synagogues of Kentucky: History and Architecture |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=1995 }}</ref>{{rp|157}}

The earliest building was a former church. In 1901, the congregation, then B'nai Israel, dedicated a new building on the site of the former church building at 432 E. Jefferson Street. The building has twin towers with pyramid-form roofs and was striped in red-and-white in the Moorish Revival style then fashionable for synagogues.<ref name=Weisbach/>{{rp|72}}

For most of its history, Keneseth Israel was an Orthodox synagogue affiliated with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. In 1994, its members voted to affiliate with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.<ref name=Weisbach/>{{rp|18}}

==Clergy== The congregation is led by Rabbi Ben Freed and Cantor Sharon Hordes.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.kenesethisrael.com}}

Category:Synagogues in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Jewish organizations established in 1882 Category:Moorish Revival architecture in Kentucky Category:Conservative synagogues in the United States Category:Moorish Revival synagogues Category:National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky Category:1882 establishments in Kentucky Category:Synagogues completed in 1928 Category:1928 establishments in Kentucky Category:Demolished but still listed on the National Register of Historic Places Category:2021 fires in the United States Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2021 Category:Burned religious buildings and structures in the United States Category:Fires in Kentucky Category:20th-century synagogues in the United States