{{Short description|Conservative synagogue in New York (state)}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Temple Beth Tzedek | native_name = {{Langx|he|קהלה קדשה בית צדק}} | native_name_lang = | image = Temple Beth Tzedek - fmr Congregation B'nai Shalom - Amherst, New York - 20221130.jpg | image_upright = 1.4 | alt = | caption = The synagogue in 2022 | religious_affiliation = [[Conservative Judaism]] | tradition = | sect = | district = | prefecture = | province = | region = [[Buffalo, New York]] | deity = | rite = [[Nusach Ashkenaz]] | festival = <!-- or |festivals= --> | organisational_status = [[Synagogue]]<!-- or |organizational_status= --> | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = Rabbi Sara Rich | bhattaraka = | patron = | consecration_year = | functional_status = Active | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = [[Getzville, New York|Getzville]], [[Western New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = New York | country = United States | map_type = New York | map_size = 250 | map_alt = | map_relief = 1 | map_caption = Location of the synagogue in [[New York (state)|New York]] | grid_name = | grid_position = | sector = | territory = | administration = | coordinates = {{Coord|43|0|3|N|78|45|37|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = | architecture_type = | architecture_style = | founded_by = | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = {{nowrap|2008 {{small|(as a congregation)}}}} | groundbreaking = | year_completed = 2018 | construction_cost = | date_demolished = <!-- or |date_destroyed= --> | 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 = <!-- or |elevation_ft= --> | elevation_footnotes = | nrhp = | designated = | added = | refnum = | delisted1_date = | website = {{URL|btzbuffalo.org}} | module = <!-- for embedding other infobox templates --> | footnotes = }} {{Not to be confused with|Beth Tzedec Congregation}} '''Temple Beth Tzedek''' ({{Langx|he|קהלה קדשה בית צדק|translit=mqḏš ḇyṯ ṣḏq}}) is a [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] [[Judaism|Jewish]] congregation and [[synagogue]], located in [[Williamsville, New York|Getzville]], in [[Western New York]], in the state of [[New York (state)|New York]], in the United States. The synagogue is the second-largest one in Buffalo and the region's flagship for the [[United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism]], which represents 600 congregations across North America.
== History == The congregation was formed in 2008 through the merger of two congregations, named Temple Beth El, Buffalo's oldest synagogue per its founding in 1847, and Temple Shaarey Zedek.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-08 |title=Temple Beth Tzedek – Jewish Buffalo History Center |url=https://jewishbuffalohistory.org/synagogues/temple-beth-tzedek/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=jewishbuffalohistory.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Rabbi Sara Rich was appointed the rabbi of the congregation in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Amy |date=2023-07-19 |title=Temple Beth Tzedek Welcomes First Female Rabbi |url=https://www.amherstbee.com/articles/temple-beth-tzedek-welcomes-first-female-rabbi/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[The Amherst Bee]] |language=en |issn=1095-9432 |oclc=8882862}}</ref> Cantor Mark Spindler has served as cantor since 1987 and Cantorial Intern Zahava Fried has been with the congregation since 2021.
The new building for the synagogue was completed in 2018 by [[Finegold Alexander Architects]] and CannonDesign.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-04-06 |title=Finegold Alexander Architects Completes "Sanctuary in the Woods" for Temple Beth Tzedek |url=https://www.usglassmag.com/finegold-alexander-architects-completes-sanctuary-in-the-woods-for-temple-beth-tzedek/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=USGlass Magazine & USGNN News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-02 |title=Finegold Alexander Architects completes Temple Beth Tzedek; New “Sanctuary in the Woods” unites two Congregations |url=https://nyrej.com/print/42902 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=nyrej.com}}</ref> The building had a more naturalistic look with glass emitting sunlight every day in the main sanctuary with the heavy use of [[Lumber|timber]] and other wood materials to make it more nature-like and evoke the wooden synagogues of pre-World War II Eastern Europe.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Alix |date=2020-05-31 |title=Bringing the Outside Inside Your Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/garden/nature-inside-home-biophilia.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The facilities architectural design earned it a Brick by Brick Award for Excellence in Construction from ''Buffalo Business First'' in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fink |first=James |date=2019-06-11 |title=2019 Brick by Brick winners announced |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2019/06/11/brick-by-brick-winners-announced.html |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=[[American City Business Journals]]}}</ref>
In February 2024, Temple Beth Tzedek was one of the first places of worship in the world to receive [[universal design]] certification for their improvement of accessibility for the disabled. The project was led by Harvey Sanders, the chairman of the synagogue's Project Beit Tfilah Committee and Ed Steinfeld, a [[State University of New York|SUNY]] Distinguished Professor and the founder of the [[University at Buffalo]]'s Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sommer |first=Mark |date=2024-02-12 |title=Jewish temple in Amherst certified for universal design |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/jewish-temple-in-amherst-certified-for-universal-design/article_fe58fc72-c8da-11ee-991f-2b4353530747.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=[[The Buffalo News]] |language=en |issn=0745-2691 |oclc=8882862}}</ref>
== See also == {{stack|{{portal|Judaism|New York (state)}}}} * [[History of the Jews in New York]] * [[List of synagogues in the United States#Elsewhere in New York (state)|List of synagogues in New York (state)]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Synagogues in the United States}}
[[Category:2008 establishments in New York (state)]] [[Category:21st-century synagogues in the United States]] [[Category:Ashkenazi Jewish culture in New York (state)]] [[Category:Ashkenazi synagogues]] [[Category:Conservative synagogues in New York (state)]] [[Category:Jewish organizations established in 2008]] [[Category:Synagogues completed in 2020]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Erie County, New York|Getzville]]