Temple Emanu-El of New York was the first Reform Jewish congregation in New York City and, because of its size and prominence, has served as a flagship congregation in the Reform branch of Judaism since its founding in 1845. Its landmark Romanesque Revival building on Fifth Avenue is widely admired as the largest, and one of the most beautiful synagogues in the world. It is slightly larger than the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Eurasia....
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Temple Emanu-El of New York was the first Reform Jewish congregation in New York City and, because of its size and prominence, has served as a flagship congregation in the Reform branch of Judaism since its founding in 1845. Its landmark Romanesque Revival building on Fifth Avenue is widely admired as the largest, and one of the most beautiful synagogues in the world. It is slightly larger than the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Eurasia. Emanu-El means "God is with us" in Hebrew.
The congregation, currently 3000 families strong, is led by Senior Rabbi Dr. David M. Posner.
The congregation was founded by 33 mainly German Jews who assembled for services in April 1845 in a rented hall near Grand and Clinton Streets in Manhattan's Lower East Side. The first services they held were highly traditional. The Temple (as it became known) moved several times as the congregation grew larger and wealthier.
In October 1847, the congregation relocated to a former Methodist church at 56...
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