Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue

As in other areas of Sullivan County, Jews began coming to the region, first to vacation and later to stay, around the turn of the 20th century. Among the early arrivals to the Glen Wild area, in 1904, were Simon Jaffe and his family, of Lithuanian descent like other Jews in the area. Since he had been a shochet, or ritual animal slaughterer, he helped establish the small congregation, of 13 members at first, in 1913.^[1]

Worshipers met in his house for over a decade before they began to talk about building a synagogue. A small parcel of land was acquired, and cornerstones were laid in 1921. Local contractor Jim Couch and Sons, neighbors of the Jaffes, handled the construction. The finished building, completed in 1923, reflects some characteristics of Sullivan County's Christian churches such as the gabled roof, but the window treatments and stucco finish link it to other synagogues of the period in the area, such as the former Hebrew Congregation of Mountaindale and the South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Synagogue.^[1]

In 1955 a congregant, Louis Rosenblatt, donated money for the construction of the rear wing, to be used as a social hall. This has been the only change made to the building since 1923.^[1]

Since Anshei Glen Wild was a small congregation, it never hired its own rabbi. Simon Jaffe, a schoolteacher, conducted services and taught congregants' children Hebrew. His family continued to maintain the synagogue, although services were infrequent. The two dozen members focused much of their efforts on maintaining the nearby cemetery.^[2]

Around 2013 the synagogue was bought by Mike Osterhout, an artist, and converted into an art gallery and performance space.^[3] Osterhout also owns the nearby heritage-listed Glen Wild Methodist Church, built in 1867, and renamed by Osterhout as the Church of the Little Green Man.^[4]

• Anshei Israel Synagogue, a similar small rural synagogue in Lisbon, Connecticut.