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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Congregation B'nai Jacob (Woodbridge, Connecticut)

The Congregation B'nai Jacob (transliterated from Hebrew as "Sons of Jacob") is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 75 Rimmon Road, in Woodbridge, Connecticut, in the United States.

History

Congregation B'nai Jacob was established in New Haven in 1882. Founded by Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in the Russian Empire, it was first on Temple Street in New Haven, then moved to George Street in 1912, in a building completed in the Moorish Revival style.

In 1961, the congregation moved to Woodbridge, following the construction of a new synagogue designed by Fritz Nathan and Bertram Bassuk in the Modernist style. A defining feature of the sanctuary is an impressive display of stained-glass windows by Jean-Jacques Duval.

"Duval’s greatest success ... was his ability to create full walls of stained glass that actually helped emphasize and strengthen the shape of the space instead of distracting from it. Duval has demonstrated this talent for making architectural walls that complemented the architecture design in many synagogue and church commissions. Most of his stained glass windows are not to be seen through, or even to be looked at as pictures. Rather, they enclose the viewer to create a container of worship space."

— Samuel D. Gruber, Jewish art historian, 2011.

Rona Shapiro was appointed the congregation's first female rabbi in 2013.

Notable members

References

  1. ^ "About Us". Congregation B'nai Jacob. n.d. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Passage of Rites". Daily Nutmeg. April 18, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "Congregation B'nai Jacob". Synagogues360. n.d. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Gruber, Samuel D. (June 7, 2011). "Jean-Jacques Duval's Connecticut Synagogue Stained Glass Still Dazzles After 50 Years". The Forward. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  5. ^ McNamara, Neal (August 2, 2013). "B'nai Jacob in Woodbridge welcomes first female rabbi". New Haven Register. Retrieved January 27, 2024.