Temple B’nai Israel

Can you believe this Temple B’nai Israel started in a hotel? In June 1948, thirty Jewish individuals met at the Brevoort Hotel. They dreamt of a liberal congregation for Greenwich Village and the lower West Side. This energy led to the incorporation of The Village Temple, Congregation B’nai Israel, that same year. Temple B’nai Israel initially held services at the Brevoort Hotel. The 150 members funded it with $35 contributions each. Rabbis from Temple Emanuel led services until B’nai Israel could hire its own. By January 1949, membership tripled, outgrowing the hotel. The congregation then moved to the Village Presbyterian Church on West 13th Street. A building fund was established in 1954 to find a permanent home for Temple B’nai Israel. A generous donation followed. Lena and Samuel Kilberg gave the congregation a metal shop at 33 East 12th Street for just one dollar. In 1957, nine years after its inception, Temple B’nai Israel finally opened its doors at its own location. The formal dedication took place on September 16th. Some of those original visionary members remained part of the community for years. Rabbi Harvey Tattelbaum became the first full-time rabbi of Temple B’nai Israel. Cantor Elliot Levine, now Cantor Emeritus, joined in 1967. Rabbi Dennis Math arrived in 1971. Both served the congregation for over 25 years. In the mid-1980s, the congregation purchased and renovated space next door. This expansion created the sanctuary you see today at Temple B’nai Israel. The Village Temple Soup Kitchen started in 1987. It continues to serve hundreds of New Yorkers in need.