Central Synagogue (Manhattan)

Central Synagogue
Central Synagogue
	The synagogue on Lexington Avenue, in 2023
Religion
Affiliation	Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Clergy: Rabbi/Cantor Angela Warnick Buchdahl; Cantor Dan Mutlu; Rabbi Maurice A. Salth; Rabbi Ari S. Lorge; Cantor Jenna Pearsall; Rabbi Sarah Berman (Adult Education); Rabbi Hilly Haber (Social Justice & Education); Rabbi Andrew Kaplan Mandel (Online Community Engagement); Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal (Youth & Family Education); Rabbi Lisa Rubin (Center for Exploring Judaism); Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein (Emeritus); Cantor Richard Botton (Emeritus);
Status	Active
Location
Location	646–652 Lexington Avenue
Municipality	Midtown Manhattan, New York City
State	New York
Country	United States
	Location in Manhattan, New York City
Geographic coordinates	40°45′35″N 73°58′14″W / 40.7596°N 73.9705°W
Architecture
Architect(s)	Henry Fernbach
Type	Synagogue
Style	Moorish Revival
Date established	1839 (Shaar Hashomayim); 1846 (Ahawath Chesed);
Groundbreaking	December 14, 1870
Completed	April 19, 1872
Specifications
Direction of façade	East (main facade)
Capacity	1,400
Length	140 ft (43 m)
Width	93 ft (28 m)
Height (max)	112 ft (34 m)
Materials	Brownstone, light stone
Website
	centralsynagogue.org
	Central Synagogue
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	New York State Register of Historic Places
	New York City Landmark No. 0276
NRHP reference No.	70000423
NYSRHP No.	06101.000429
NYCL No.	0276
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 9, 1970
Designated NHL	May 15, 1975
Designated NYSRHP	June 23, 1980
Designated NYCL	July 7, 1966

Central Synagogue (formerly Congregation Ahawath Chesed Shaar Hashomayim; colloquially Central) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue at 652 Lexington Avenue, at the corner with 55th Street, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The current congregation was formed in 1898 through the merger of two 19th-century synagogues: Shaar Hashomayim and Ahawath Chesed. The synagogue building was constructed from 1870 to 1872 for Ahawath Chesed. As of 2014^[update], Angela Buchdahl is Central's senior rabbi.

Shaar Hashomayim was founded in 1839 by German Jews, while Ahawath Chesed was founded in 1846 by Bohemian Jews. Both congregations originally occupied several sites on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Central was constructed as the fifth building of Ahawath Chesed, whose members had moved northward during the late 19th century. Though the congregations originally held services in German, they had become largely Anglophone by the time of their merger. Ahawath Chesed Shaar Hashomayim became known as Central by 1918 and briefly merged with the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in the 1920s. The building has been renovated several times over the years, including in the 1880s and 1940s; it was extensively rebuilt from 1998 to 2001 following a fire.

Designed by Henry Fernbach in the Moorish Revival style, the building is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark. The facade is made of brownstone with light-stone trim and includes stained glass windows and a geometric rose window; it is topped by octagonal towers. A vestibule leads to the synagogue's sanctuary—a two-level space, arranged similarly to a Gothic church—and there are various rooms in the basement. Central Synagogue has hosted various activities and programs over the years, and it contains a collection of Jewish artifacts. A community house, across 55th Street, hosts the synagogue's religious school and numerous groups.

^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
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^ "Central Synagogue". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2007; Pitts, Carolyn (February 2, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Central Synagogue" (pdf). National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024; Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, from 1973 and undated (1.53 MB)
^ Cite error: The named reference nycland was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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[Cultural_Resource_Information_System-1] "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2023.

[desrep-2] Cite error: The named reference desrep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nris2007A-3] Cite error: The named reference nris2007A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nhlsum-4] "Central Synagogue". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2007; Pitts, Carolyn (February 2, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Central Synagogue" (pdf). National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024; Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, from 1973 and undated (1.53 MB)

[nycland-5] Cite error: The named reference nycland was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[aia-6] Cite error: The named reference aia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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