Kehila Kedosha Janina
| Kehila Kedosha Janina | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active Synagogue |
| Location | |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Sydney Daub |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Website | |
| http://www.kkjsm.org/ | |
Kehila Kedosha Janina is a Romaniote synagogue in Chinatown, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in New York City.
History
Kehila Kedosha Janina holds the distinction of being the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. The congregation was founded in 1906 by Greek Jewish immigrants from Ioannina, but the synagogue itself was not erected until 1927. The years from its founding in 1927 until the Second World War were a time of prosperity for the Romaniote community in the Lower East Side: there were three rabbis in the temple, and on the High Holidays, there was often only standing room for synagogue services. After the end of World War Two, many of the congregation moved to other boroughs and parts of Manhattan, starting minyanim in Harlem, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, though these communities are no longer active.
Kehila Kedosha Janina was designated a landmark by New York City in 2004. It underwent major restoration in 2006, but shabbat services have resumed, and guided tours are offered each Sunday.
Use for Religious Services
The synagogue still serves a small community, though it is withering, and it is often difficult for the congregation to form a minyan. The synagogue is open only on shabbat and on Jewish holidays; no weekday services are held. Before his death in on February 13, 2006, Hyman Genee, the synagogue's former president and the leader of the services, has been quoted as saying that "we [the Kehila Kedosha Janina congregation] are on our last legs".
Layout
Kehila Kedosha Janina is somewhat unusual for a Romaniote in that it runs north south with the ehal on the north side (Romaniote synagogues typically run east to west), the bimah is in the center of the main sanctuary (most Romaniote synagogues place the bimah on the west wall), and the internal stairway for the women's balcony. It is typical in the fact that men and woman sit separately (a feature of all Orthodox synagogues).