History Project

Is Your Family’s History Part of Our History?

Organized in 1856, Congregation Beth Israel Anshei Emes (now known as Kane Street Synagogue) is the oldest continuously functioning Jewish congregation in Brooklyn. As we look forward to our 150th anniversary, we have undertaken an ambitious History Project to memorialize our first century and a half in an exhibition and book about Jewish life in our community.

Part of the History Project involves a B'nai Mitzvah registry of people who had their Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Kane Street Synagogue (or one of the congregation’s earlier locations). The list now includes over 1000 names, assembled from old Sunday school and Talmud Torah records.

We are gathering information from both former and current members of our congregation. We are particularly interested in the following:

Family photographs and storiesThe year of the family’s emigration to America and their country of origin The year the family joined the Congregation and the years of membershipThe names of family members and home addresses in the communityOccupations and business addressesSchools the children attendedDates the children attended Sunday School or Talmud Torah Rites held at the synagogue (bris, Bar Mitzvah, confirmation, wedding or funeral) Jewish traditions celebrated (Seder dinner, Sabbath candles, Tashlich) Types of observance (dietary laws, Sabbath services, daily minyan, mikvah)Family participation in synagogue activities (choir, dinners, literary society) Family participation in the community (social clubs, charity organizations)
If the family left the Congregation, when and why did they leave, and did they join another Synagogue?

If you would like to share your stories and materials with us, please call the synagogue office at 718-875-1550.