Temple Israel (Lafayette, Indiana)
Former Reform synagogue and now church, in Lafayette, Indiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Temple Israel is a historic former Reform Jewish synagogue, located at Lafayette, Indiana, in the United States. Its 1867 building is one of the oldest synagogue buildings in the United States.[3] Deconsecrated as a synagogue in 1969, the most recent use of the building was as a Unitarian church.
- Reform Judaism (former)
- Red Cross (former)
- Unitarianism (former)
- Closed (as a synagogue);
- Repurposed and abandoned
| Temple Israel | |
|---|---|
The former synagogue and church, in 2009 | |
  Location of the former synagogue, now church, in Tippecanoe County, Indiana | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation |
|
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | 17 South 7th Street, Lafayette, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°25′0″N 86°53′16″W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | |
| Founder | Ahavas Achim Congregation |
| Jacob Welschbillig | |
| Established | 1849 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1867 |
Temple Israel | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000080 |
| Added to NRHP | February 19, 1982 |
| [1][2] | |
History
The congregation, called Ahavas Achim Congregation, was formed on April 27, 1849, the second Jewish congregation organized in Indiana.[4][5] In 1874 it became a founding member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.[6] The congregation moved to its third and present location on Cumberland Avenue in West Lafayette.[6]
The Temple Israel building of 1866–1867, located at 17 South 7th Street, was renamed as Temple Israel in 1919. It is a two-story Rundbogenstil structure.[4][7] The building was dedicated by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise.
Morris M. Feuerlicht was rabbi of Temple Israel from 1901 to 1904.[8]
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[6][9][10]
In 1969 the building was sold to the American National Red Cross and was purchased in 1976 by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Greater Lafayette.[11] The UU congregation vacated this location in October 2007.
