Julian H. Preisler Boeken

With the sixth largest Jewish population and the fourth oldest organized Jewish community in the United States, Pennsylvania has hundreds of synagogues, past and present, and they come in all shapes, sizes and styles. Pennsylvania is unique with regard to the extensive number of locations that either have, or once had, functioning Jewish congregations and communities. While the city of Philadelphia has a large number of synagogues, both current and former, synagogues were established in many of the cities and towns found along the industrial and mining routes of Eastern Pennsylvania. Places such as Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Hazleton, Reading, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton among others each have a Jewish history all their own and many beautiful synagogues. By presenting images of these many synagogues, especially the ones that are no longer used for Jewish worship, their history is documented, and the uniqueness and wealth of their architecture is shared for all. This diversity of architecture reflects that very same diversity of the Jewish communities that settled throughout Pennsylvania and indeed the whole United States.

Pennsylvania has one of the largest and oldest organized Jewish communities in the United States. Jews of Sephardic origin settled in what became the “Keystone State” in the early 18th century (though there were some Jewish traders in the area during the latter part of the 17th century). Jews began trading and residing in central and western Pennsylvania in the early 19th century, and as their numbers increased they established burial societies and synagogues. The earliest Jewish settlers were mostly of German origin, and were later joined by Jews of Central and Eastern European background. Their history in Pittsburgh and the southwestern PA region is represented in this book containing 198 b&w photos, 32 color images and background information on current, former and some demolished synagogues and their congregations.