Temple Beth Zion (Buffalo, New York)
Reform synagogue in Buffalo, New York (state), US / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Temple Beth Zion is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 805 Delaware Avenue, in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, in the United States. Founded in 1850, Temple Beth Zion is the largest Jewish congregation in Western New York and one of the oldest and largest Reform congregations in the nation. Originally an Orthodox congregation, TBZ reorganized as a Reform congregation in 1863.
Temple Beth Zion | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
Leadership | Rabbi Brent P. Gutmann |
Status | Active |
Organ | Casavant Frères |
Location | |
Location | 805 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, Erie County, New York |
Country | United States |
Location in New York | |
Geographic coordinates | 42°54′23″N 78°52′18″W |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) |
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Type | Synagogue |
Style | Modernist |
Creator |
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General contractor | Siegfried Construction Co. |
Date established | 1850 (as a congregation) |
Groundbreaking | June 21, 1964 |
Completed |
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Specifications | |
Capacity | 1,000 worshippers |
Height (max) | 62 feet (18.9 m) |
Materials | Alabama limestone |
Website | |
tbz | |
Temple Beth Zion | |
Area | 3.81 acres (1.54 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 100001965 |
Added to NRHP | January 16, 2018 |
[1] |
The Max Abramovitz-designed circular Modernist building features ten scallop walls, each a symbol of the 10 commandments, and two 30-foot-high (9.1 m) commandment tablets.[2] The synagogue walls rise 45 feet (14 m) from the entrance, flaring outward at 15 degrees, firmly anchored to a pedestal 50 feet (15 m) below ground level. Ben Shahn, an artist, painter and calligrapher, designed the sanctuary's stained windows, the Commandment Tablets, and the menorah.[3][4] The synagogue contains a Casavant Frères 48-rank, 4000-pipe organ. The synagogue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018,[5][6] located within the Delaware Avenue Historic District.
The Benjamin and Dr. Edgar R. Cofeld Judaic Museum, co-located adjacent to the synagogue, features a rotating collection of Judaica.[7]
The congregation was beset by sexual harassment allegations in 2020, allegedly perpetrated by Rabbi Jonathan Freirich.[8][9][10][11]