State Maryland Status Active Opened 1845 Architectural type Synagogue | Country United States Leadership Rabbi Etan Mintz Phone +1 410-732-5454 | |
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Location 22 Lloyd Street, Baltimore Affiliation Modern Orthodox Judaism Address 27 Lloyd St, Balti, MD 21202, USA Architectural style Moorish Revival architecture Similar Lloyd Street Synagogue, Jewish Museum of Maryland, Chizuk Amuno Congregation, Chizuk Amuno Synagogue, Beth Am | ||
B'nai Israel is a Modern Orthodox synagogue located in the historic Jonestown neighborhood, near downtown and the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. The synagogue is one of the oldest synagogue buildings still standing in the United States.
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Architecture
The synagogue is noted for its Moorish Revival architecture. The Aron Kodesh is an architectural fantasy in carved wood, with the cabinet in which the Torah scrolls are stored, surrounded by a pair of tall minarets.
Leadership
Rabbi Etan Mintz is the spiritual leader of B'nai Israel Synagogue.
History
A group of members of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation believed that the congregation had become too liberal and modernistic. In 1873, they formed a new congregation, named the Russian Congregation of B'nai Israel. Most of the congregants were of Russian decent and a significant minority were of either Lithuanian or Polish descent.
The building itself was built by Chizuk Amuno Congregation in 1845. Chizuk Amuno Congregation sold the building to B'nai Israel for $12,000 in 1895.
In 1973, the congregation began raising funds for the restoration of the synagogue.
B'nai Israel donated land to the City of Baltimore to build a park near the synagogue in 1975. Named Freedom Park, the park honors victims of oppression.