Temple Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation in Memphis, Tennessee. It is the only Reform synagogue in Memphis, the oldest and largest Jewish congregation in Tennessee, and one of the largest Reform congregations in the United States. It was founded in 1853 by mostly German Jews as Congregation B'nai Israel. Led initially by cantors, in 1858 it hired its first rabbi, Jacob Peres, and leased its first building, which it renovated and eventually purchased. The synagogue was one of the founding members of the Union for Reform Judaism. It experienced difficulty during the Great Depression—membership dropped, the congregational school was closed, and staff had their salaries reduced—but conditions had improved by the late 1930s. In 1943 the synagogue changed its name to Temple Israel, and by the late 1940s membership had almost doubled from its low point in the 1930s. Rabbi Jimmy Wax became known for his activism during the Civil Rights era. In 1976 the congregation constructed its current building, closer to where most members lived. Wax retired in 1978, and was succeeded by Harry Danziger, who brought traditional practices back to the congregation. He retired in 2000, and was succeeded by Micah Greenstein. As of 2010, Temple Israel has almost 1,600 member families. Greenstein is the senior rabbi, and the cantor is John Kaplan.
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1856:
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issued a Warrant under the Royal sign-manual that established the Victoria Cross, originally to recognise acts of valour by British military personnel during the Crimean War. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross
1863:
Indian Wars in North America: The United States Army led by Patrick Edward Connor massacred Chief Bear Hunter and forces of the Shoshone at the Bear River Massacre in present day Franklin County, Idaho. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_River_Massacre
1891:
Liliʻuokalani was proclaimed the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliuokalani
1943:
World War II: The Battle of Rennell Island, the last major naval engagement between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal Campaign, began. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rennell_Island
2006:
India's Irfan Pathan became the first bowler to take a Test cricket hat-trick in the opening over of a match. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irfan_Pathan
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
spuria (npl): [[spurious http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spuria
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Each of us is full of too many wheels, screws and valves to permit us to judge one another on a first impression or by two or three external signs. --Anton Chekhov http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov