|
1872
|
Waterbury's first Jewish
congregation, Temple Israel, is organized, renting various halls
for services.
|
| 1873 |
Melchizedek Lodge of
the Independent Order of B’Nai Brith is organized.
|
| 1875 |
Melchizedek Burial Association
purchases land on Plank Road for cemetery.
|
| 1876 |
Hebrew Ladies’
Benevolent Society (Temple Israel) is formed.
First interment at Melchizedek Cemetery (Temple Israel).
|
| 1880 |
The first Temple Israel
Sunday School opens.
|
| 1888 |
The Waterbury City Lodge
of the Order of B’nai Abraham is established; they purchase
land for a cemetery on Plank Road.
|
| 1890 |
Agudas Achim is incorporated and begins holding religious services
at the Grand Army Hall on East Main Street.
|
| 1893 |
A Talmud Torah is opened at 231 Bank Street.
|
| |
The Jewish community
of Waterbury was getting somewhat organized around the turn of the
century and the first large groups of Eastern European Jews from
Russia, from Poland, etc., were arriving and the first orthodox
synagogue was in the process of formation and the first thing that
they felt they needed very badly was a Talmud Torah, or in other
words a Hebrew school for the children.
-Beryl Weinstein
|
| 1898 |
Talmud Torah stops holding
classes.
|
| 1900 |
Agudas Achim buys a
house on Canal Street, converting it for use as a synagogue, with
a mikva in the basement and a school on the second floor.
|
| 1902 |
Agudas Achim reopens
the Talmud Torah and charters the Waterbury Hebrew School, Inc.,
which becomes the owner of the school and the synagogue.
Waterbury Hebrew Ladies' Aid Association is formed.
|
| 1903 |
Workmen’s Circle
organized, with a school on Spencer Avenue.
|
| 1905 |
Waterbury Hebrew School
acquires property on Kingsbury Street to build Beth Israel Synagogue
|
| 1906 |
Groundbreaking ceremony
for Beth Israel, the first synagogue to be built in Waterbury (26
Kingsbury Street).
|
| 1907 |
Beth Israel Synagogue
dedicated.
|
| 1909 |
Sharis Israel Synagogue
founded (49 Kingsbury Street).
|
| 1910 |
Friendship Social and
Benevolent Association is organized (28 Park Place).
|
| 1911 |
Rabbi David B. Swiren
(Beth Israel) is Waterbury’s first Orthodox rabbi.
|
| 1913 |
Construction begins
on the Hebrew Institute (Beth Israel).
|
| 1914 |
The Hebrew Institute
opens (24 Kingsbury Street). It was both a religious school and
a social center, with a gymnasium and an auditorium. The school
attracted 200 students in its first year.
|
| |
The old Hebrew Institute
was downtown. That is where the girls used to meet at night, ...we
were ten, eleven, twelve, we would walk down the hill at night and
go to a meeting, come back. It was a big part of our lives, it was
all Jewish kids
-Paul Freedman
|
| 1917 |
Waterbury's first Boy
Scout Troop is formed.
|
| 1918 |
The Waterbury chapter
of Hadassah is founded.
|
| 1921 |
Temple Israel moves
to 100 Willow Street.
Waterbury Modern Orthodox Congregation is formed.
|
| 1924 |
The Waterbury Modern
Orthodox Congregation becomes Beth El (28 Park Place).
|
1925
|
Harry E. Schwartz is
Beth El’s first full-time rabbi and starts their Sunday School.
Beth El joins the United Synagogues of America and becomes Conservative.
|
| 1927 |
Beth El purchases property
for new Synagogue on Cooke Street.
|
| 1929 |
Construction of Beth
El Synagogue on Cooke St. begins (first Byzantine-style
synagogue in Connecticut).
|
| 1930 |
Beth El begins holding
ceremonies in unfinished Synagogue.
|
| 1937 |
The Waterbury chapter
of Farband, a branch of the Jewish National Workers’ Alliance
of the Labor Zionist Workers Order, was registered.
|
| 1947 |
Rabbi Seymour Gewirtz
(Beth Israel) founds the Beth David Academy, 24 Kingsbury St. (shared
space with Hebrew Institute).
|
| 1949 |
Waterbury Jewish Federation
organized.
|
| 1951 |
Construction of Beth
El Synagogue is completed.
Camp Shalom (Federation) opens near Lakewood Park.
|
| 1956 |
Temple Israel begins
construction of a new synagogue on Williamson Drive.
|
| 1957 |
Beth Israel purchases
land in the Overlook neighborhood for Beth David Academy and a new
synagogue (not built).
|
| 1958 |
Temple Israel moves
to 100 Williamson Drive.
|
| 1959 |
Groundbreaking ceremonies
for construction of Beth David Academy.
|
| 1960 |
Beth El begins construction
of a new school.
Jewish Community Center established at 34 Murray Street. It was
moved to Country Club Road in the 1970s.
|
| 1961 |
Beth El purchases land
for cemetery in Bucks Hill.
Beth David Academy (Beth Israel) opens on Bidwell Street.
|
| 1969 |
Sharis Israel and Beth
Israel merge to form Beth-Israel-Sharis-Israel and begin construction
for a new synagogue on Roseland Avenue.
Beth David Academy closes.
|
| 1970 |
Beth-Israel-Sharis-Israel
is renamed B'nai Shalom Synagogue .
|
| 1971 |
Dedication of B’nai
Shalom, made up of the former members of the Orthodox congregations
on Kingsbury Street, Beth Israel and Sharis Israel, and the remaining
members of Naugatuck’s Congregation Beth Israel (Roseland Avenue).
The new temple incorporated cornerstones of the earlier Kingsbury
Street synagogues, as well as a cornerstone from the Hebrew Institute
on Kingsbury Street, when the older landmarks were demolished along
with the Kingsbury neighborhood during the Urban Renewal clearance
projects.
|
| 1993 |
The Jewish Federation
moved their offices to Woodbury.
|
| 1997 |
B'Nai Israel congregation
and school moves to Woodbury, composed of former members of Temple
Israel in Waterbury and B'Nai Chaim in Southbury.
|
| 2001 |
The Beth El Synagogue
and Religious School on Cooke Street is sold to the Waterbury's
newest Jewish immigrants, the members of Torah Umesorah. |
