Serving as an Orthodox Jewish congregation for most of its existence, this establishment was initially organized as a $100,000 project in 1928 by the Men’s Club of the New Brighton Jewish Center. A 1952 building dedication journal indicates an addition to the original center, in which services had been held downstairs. Significant features include stain glass windows (common in many of Brighton’s synagogues), illumination, flashing lights in memoriam, plaques, and horoscopic images on the windows. The last characteristic was particularly interesting to us, as it opened our eyes to a bit of irony. The synagogue’s president informed us that such imagery is a direct violation of biblical canon, being that it is seen as mystical. Nonetheless, the fact that the center has had only 2 rabbis over the course of seventy years, coupled with its unparalleled outreach to elderly Russian Jews, makes this site a crucial one in our study.

Michael Ekster, President of the New Brighton Jewish Center congregation, submitted the factual information to us in an interview.