Beth Am

Conservative synagogue in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Beth Am

The sanctuary at Beth Am synagogue in 2009

Religion
Affiliation| Conservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status| Synagogue
Leadership| Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg
Status| Active
Location
Location| Reservoir Hill, Baltimore, Maryland
Country| United States

Location in Baltimore, Maryland

Geographic coordinates| 39°18′53″N 76°38′16″W﻿ / ﻿39.31472°N 76.63778°W﻿ / 39.31472; -76.63778
Architecture
Date established| 1974 (as a congregation)
Completed| 1922
Website
bethambaltimore.org

Beth Am is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Reservoir Hill community of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of two non-Orthodox synagogues in Baltimore's inner city.[1] Beth Am is an urban, egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and it is known for balancing traditional prayer and learning with innovative and intellectual critique.[citation needed]

Beth Am strives to be, in Isaiah's words, “a house of prayer for all peoples”. Beth Am is known for its warmth, its open embrace of children, and its pluralism.[citation needed]

## History[edit]

The building currently known as "Beth Am" was first founded as Chizuk Amuno Congregation,[2]: 181 which has since moved to a new suburban location in Pikesville, Maryland. Chizuk Amuno first occupied the building in 1922 and moved to Pikesville in 1958.[3]

Following the move of Chizuk Amuno, services continued in the building, led by Cantor Abba Weisgall. Then, in 1974, the current Beth Am congregation was founded as Dr. Louis L. Kaplan's shul.[2]: 51 Kaplan's wife Etta Jenkins suggested the name, which translates to "House of the People".

The congregation is one of the city's historic synagogues.

## Leadership[edit]

Kaplan served informally as the congregation's spiritual leader until 1981, when the congregation hired its first full-time rabbi. The first rabbi was Efrem Potts, Louis L. Kaplan's son-in-law through his marriage to Deborah Kaplan Potts.[4][5]

The congregation had no full-time rabbi in the years 2000–2002, when they were served part-time by Rabbi Sheila Russian, who in 1979 had become the first female rabbi in Baltimore.[6]

The current[when?] rabbi is Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg, who joined the congregation in 2010. The Rabbi Emeritus is Jon Konheim,[7] who has been with the congregation since 2002.

## See also[edit]

* Maryland portal
* Judaism portal

* History of the Jews in Maryland

## References[edit]

1. ^ Weiss, Anthony (February 13, 2008). "The Shul that Stayed in Baltimore". The Forward. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
2. ^ a b Sandler, Gilbert (2000). Jewish Baltimore: A Family Album. JHU Press. ISBN 0801864275.
3. ^ Olitzky, Kerry M. (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 161–162. ISBN 0313288569.
4. ^ "Forty years later, an urban synagogue celebrates its birth". The Baltimore Sun. December 16, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
5. ^ "Beth Am's Gem: Efrem Potts". The Baltimore Jewish Times. November 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
6. ^ "File unreadable" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
7. ^ "Conservative Judaism Thrives in Baltimore, but Troubled Nationwide". The Baltimore Jewish Times. p. 1\. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Synagogues in the United States

By state

Alabama|

* Beth-El (Anniston)
* Knesseth Israel (Birmingham)
* Beth-El (Birmingham)
* Emanu-El (Birmingham)
* B'nai Sholom (Huntsville)
* Sha’arai Shomayim (Mobile)
* Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem (Montgomery)
* Beth Or (Montgomery)

Arizona|

* Beth Israel (Scottsdale)
* Emanuel (Tempe)
* Kol Ami (Tucson)

Arkansas|

* Shalom (Fayetteville)

California|

| Los Angeles|

* Stephen Wise Temple (Bel Air)
* Beth Jacob (Beverly Hills)
* Emanuel (Beverly Hills)
* Valley Beth Shalom (Encino)
* Beth Israel (Highland Park and Eagle Rock)
* Temple Israel (Hollywood)
* Beth Am (Los Angeles)
* IKAR (Los Angeles)
* Wilshire Boulevard (Los Angeles)
* Beth Chayim Chadashim (Mid City)
* Ahavat Shalom (Northridge)
* Kehillat Israel (Pacific Palisades)
* Ner Tamid (Rancho Palos Verdes)
* Jewish Temple and Center (Pasadena)
* Pacific Jewish Center (Venice)
* Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel (Westwood)
* Sinai Temple (Westwood)

|

San Francisco
and Bay Area|

* Beth Israel (Berkeley)
* Beyt Tikkun (Berkeley)
* Peninsula Temple Sholom (Burlingame)
* B'nai Israel (Daly City)
* Beth Am (Los Altos Hills)
* Kehilla Community Synagogue (Oakland)
* Temple Sinai (Oakland)
* Am Tikvah (San Francisco)
* Beth Sholom (San Francisco)
* Emanu-El (San Francisco)
* The Kitchen (San Francisco)
* Sherith Israel (San Francisco)
* Rodef Sholom (San Rafael)
* Kol Shofar (Tiburon)

* Beth Israel (Fresno)
* Chabad (Poway)
* B'nai Israel (Sacramento)
* Beth Israel (San Diego)
* Temple Israel (Stockton)

Colorado|

* Beth HaMedrosh Hagodol-Beth Joseph (Denver)
* Temple Emanuel (Denver)
* Temple Sinai (Denver)
* Temple Emanuel (Pueblo)
* Temple Aaron (Trinidad)

Connecticut|

* B'nai Israel (Bridgeport)
* Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (Chester)
* Knesseth Israel (Ellington)
* Ahavath Achim (Fairfield)
* Mishkan Israel (Hamden)

* Beth Israel (Hartford West)
* Tephereth Israel (New Britian)
* Beth Israel (New Haven)
* Agudath Sholom (Stamford)
* Israel (Westport)
* B'nai Jacob (Woodbridge)
* Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont

District of Columbia|

* Adas Israel
* Bet Mishpachah
* DC Minyan
* Kesher Israeln
* Machar
* Ohev Sholom
* Rosh Pina
* Sixth & I
* Washington Hebrew

Florida|

* Ahavath Chesed (Jacksonville)
* Bet Shira (Miami)
* Edmond J. Safra (Miami)
* Beth Sholom (Miami Beach)
* Cuban Hebrew (Miami Beach)
* Emanu-El (Palm Beach)
* New (Palm Beach)
* Beth-El (Pensacola)

Georgia|

* Beth Jacob (Atlanta)
* Shearith Israel (Atlanta)
* Temple (Atlanta)
* B'nai Israel (Augusta)
* Beth Israel (Macon)
* B'nai Torah (Sandy Springs)
* Mickve Israel (Savannah)

Hawaii|

* Aloha Jewish Chapel (Pearl Harbor)
* Emanu-El (Honolulu)

Idaho|

* Ahavath Beth Israel (Boise)

Illinois|

| Chicago|

* Anshe Emet
* Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel
* Beth Shalom
* Emanuel Congregation
* KAM Isaiah Israel
* Loop Synagogue
* Makom Solel Lakeside
* Mishkan Chicago
* North Shore Congregation Israel
* North Suburban Synagogue Beth El
* Temple Sholom
* Chicago Sinai Congregation
* Tzedek Chicago

|

* Moses Montefiore (Bloomington)
* Jewish Community Center (Mattoon)
* Anshai Emeth (Peoria)

Indiana|

* Achduth Vesholom (Fort Wayne)
* Indianapolis Hebrew (Indianapolis)

Iowa|

* B'nai Israel (Council Bluffs)
* Beit Shalom (Davenport)
* United Orthodox (Sioux City)

Kansas|

* Beth Israel Abraham Voliner (Kansas City)
* B'nai Jehudah (Overland Park)

Kentucky|

* Adath Israel Brith Sholom (Louisville)
* Anshei Sfard (Louisville)
* Keneseth Israel (Louisville)
* Adath Israel (Owensboro)
* Israel (Paducah)

Louisiana|

* B'nai Israel (Alexandria)
* Gemiluth Chassodim (Alexandria)
* Anshe Sfard (New Orleans)
* Beth Israel (New Orleans)
* Sinai (New Orleans)
* Touro (New Orleans)
* B'Nai Zion (Shreveport)

Maine|

* Beth Israel (Bangor)
* Etz Chaim (Portland)
* Shaarey Tphiloh (Portland)

Maryland|

* Naval Academy (Annapolis)
* B'nai Israel (Baltimore)
* Hebrew (Baltimore)
* Beth Am (Baltimore)
* Shearith Israel (Baltimore)
* Shomrei Emunah (Baltimore)
* Tiferes Yisroel (Baltimore)
* Beth El (Bethesda)
* Bethesda Jewish Congregation (Bethesda)
* Beth Shalom (Columbia)
* B'er Chayim (Cumberland)
* B'Nai Israel (Easton)
* Beth Sholom (Frederick)
* Kol Ami (Frederick)
* Emanuel (Kensington)
* Oseh Shalom (Laurel)
* Magen David Sephardic (North Bethesda)
* Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah (Olney)
* Beth El (Pikesville)
* Beth Tfiloh (Pikesville)
* Har Sinai – Oheb Shalom (Pikesville)
* Beth Sholom and Talmud Torah (Potomac)
* Beth Israel (Salisbury)
* Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Silver Spring)
* B'nai Israel (Rockville)

Massachusetts|

* Temple Israel (Boston)
* Ohabei Shalom (Brookline)
* Kahal B'raira (Cambridge)
* Agudath Shalom (Chelsea)
* Beth Israel (Malden)
* Adams Street (Newton)
* Shaarei Tefillah (Newton)
* Beth Israel (North Adams)
* Beth Israel (Onset)
* Anshe Amunim (Pittsfield)
* Sinai Temple (Springfield)
* Ahavath Torah (Stoughton)
* Beth Israel (Worcester)
* Emanuel Sinai (Worcester)

Michigan|

* Beth El (Alpena)
* Beth Emeth (Ann Arbor)
* Beth Israel (Ann Arbor)
* Beth El (Detroit)
* Birmingham Temple (Detroit)
* Isaac Agree Downtown (Detroit)
* Temple Emanuel (Grand Rapids)
* Temple Jacob (Hancock)
* Beth Sholom (Marquette)
* Beth Israel (Jackson)
* Temple Israel (West Bloomfield)

Minnesota|

* Beth Jacob (Mendota Heights)
* Temple Israel (Minneapolis)
* Adath Jeshurun (Minnetonka)
* Beth El (St Louis Park)
* Mount Zion (St Paul)
* Or Emet (St Paul)

Mississippi|

* Adath Israel (Cleveland)
* Beth Israel (Jackson)
* Beth Israel (Meridian)
* B'nai Israel (Tupelo)

Missouri|

* United Hebrew (Chesterfield)
* B'nai Amoona (Creve Coeur)
* Shaare Emeth (Creve Coeur)
* Temple Israel (Creve Coeur)
* Beth El (Jefferson City)

Nebraska|

* B'nai Jeshurun / South Sreet (Lincoln)

New Jersey|

* Beth Sholom (Cherry Hill)
* Kol Ami (Cherry Hill)
* Synagogue of Deal (Deal)
* Beth Hillel (Deerville)
* Ahavath Torah (Englewood)
* Barnert (Franklin Lakes)
* Agudath Achim (Freehold)
* Etz Ahaim Sephardic (Highland Park)
* United Synagogue of Hoboken
* Beth-El (Jersey City)
* Adas Emuno (Leonia)
* B'Nai Abraham (Livingston)
* Shaari Emeth (Manalapan)
* Marlboro Jewish Center (Marlboro)
* B'nai Israel (Millburn)
* Beth Hillel Beth Abraham (Millville)
* Morristown Jewish Center (Morristown)
* Beth Israel (Ridgewood)
* Oheb Shalom (South Orange)
* Beth El (Voorhees)

New Mexico|

* Albert (Albuquerque)
* B'nai Israel (Albuquerque)

New York|

| The Bronx|

* Adath Israel
* Hebrew Institute
* Riverdale Center
* Riverdale Temple

|

Brooklyn|

* Chevra Ahavas Yisroel
* Magen David (Bensonhurst)
* Chevra Anshei Lubawitz (Borough Park)
* Shomrei Emunah (Borough Park)
* Young Israel Beth El (Borough Park)
* Kane Street / Baith Israel Anshei Emes (Cobble Hill)
* 770 Eastern Parkway (Crown Heights)
* Chevra Ahavas Yisroel (Crown Heights)
* Kol Israel (Crown Heights)
* Beth El (Flatbush)
* Khal Hisachdus Yirieim Veretzky (Flatbush)
* Shaare Zion (Gravesend)
* Edmond J. Safra (Homecrest)
* Ocean Parkway (Kensington)
* Jewish Center (Manhattan Beach)
* B'nai Yosef (Mapleton)
* East Midwood (Midwood)
* Kingsway Center (Midwood)
* Sephardic Center (Mills Basin)
* Beth Elohim (Park Slope)
* Kolot Chayeinu (Park Slope)
* Park Slope (Park Slope)
* Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom (Williamsburg)
* Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Hooper Street, Williamsburg)
* Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Rodney Street, Williamsburg)
* K'hal Adath Jeshurun

Long Island|

* Jewish Center (Atlantic Beach)
* Jewish Center (East Hampton)
* Jewish Center (East Meadow)
* North Country Reform (Glen Cove)
* Beth-El (Great Neck)
* Tifereth Israel (Greenport)
* Jewish Center (Jericho)
* Emanu-El (Long Beach)
* Reconstructionist Synagogue (Plandome)
* Beth Israel (Port Washington)
* Adas Israel (Sag Harbor)
* Aish Kodesh (Woodmere)

Manhattan|

* Sixth Street (East Village)
* Meserich (East Village)
* Beth Israel West Side (Garment District)
* Millinery Center (Garment District)
* Old Broadway (Harlem)
* Actor's Temple (Hells Kitchen)
* Fort Tryon (Hudson Heights)
* Lincoln Square (Lincoln Square)
* Bialystoker (Lower East Side)
* City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (Lower East Side)
* Chasam Sopher (Lower East Side)
* Eldridge Street (Lower East Side)
* Kehila Kedosha Janina (Lower East Side)
* Shul of New York (Lower East Side)
* Stanton Street (Lower East)
* Talmud Torah Adereth El (Lower East Side)
* Lab/Shul (Lower West Side)
* Beit Simchat Torah (Midtown)
* Central Synagogue (Midtown)
* Sutton Place (Midtown)
* TriBeCa Synagogue (Tribeca)
* Temple Emanu-El, 1930 (Upper East Side)
* Fifth Avenue (Upper East Side)
* Israel of the City of New York (Upper East Side)
* Kehilath Jeshurun (Upper East Side)
* Or Zarua (Upper East Side)
* Park Avenue (Upper East Side)
* Park East (Upper East Side)
* Edmond J. Safra (Upper East Side)
* Shaaray Tefila (Upper East Side)
* Temple of Universal Judaism (Upper East Side)
* Ansche Chesed (Upper West Side)
* B'nai Jeshurun (Upper West Side)
* Habonim (Upper West Side)
* Jewish Center (Upper West Side)
* Kol Zimrah (Upper West Side)
* Ohab Zedek (Upper West Side)
* Ramath Orah (Upper West Side)
* Rodeph Sholom (Upper West Side)
* Romemu (Upper West Side)
* Shaare Zedek (Upper West Side)
* Shearith Israel (Upper West Side)
* Society for the Advancement of Judaism (Upper West Side)
* Stephen Wise Free (Upper West Side)
* Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights (Washington Heights)
* K'hal Adath Jeshurun (Washington Heights)
* Mount Sinai (Washington Heights)

Queens|

* Center of Israel (Astoria)
* Etz Hayim at Hollis Hills (Bayside)
* Tifereth Israel (Corona)
* Free (Flushing)
* Georgian Jews (Forest Hills)
* Queens Center (Forest Hills)
* Rego Park (Rego Park)

* Beth Emeth (Albany)
* Beth David (Amenia)
* Beth Zion (Buffalo)
* Beth El (Chappaqua)
* Beth Shalom (Clifton Park)
* B'nai Israel (Fleischmanns)
* Hunter (Hunter)
* Kerhonkson Synagogue (Kerhonkson)
* Loch Sheldrake Synagogue (Loch Sheldrake)
* Agudas Achim (Livingston Manor)
* Hebrew Congregation (Mountaindale)
* Jewish Center (Norwich)
* Beth Israel (Plattsburgh)
* Kneses Tifereth Israel (Port Chester)
* B'rith Kodesh (Rochester)
* South Fallsburg Hebrew Association {South Fallsburg)
* Emanu-El (Staten Island)
* Anshei Glen Wild (Sullivan County)
* Bikur Cholim B'nai Israel (Swan Lake)
* Society of Concord (Syracuse)
* Berith Sholom (Troy)
* Beth Joseph Synagogue (Tupper Lake)
* Spring Glen Synagogue (Wawarsing)
* Ulster Heights Synagogue (Wawarsing)
* West Point Jewish Chapel (West Point)
* Temple Israel (White Plains)
* B'nai Israel (Woodbourne)
* Ohave Shalom (Woodridge)
* Lincoln Park (Yonkers)

North Carolina|

* Beth Israel (Asheville)
* Temple Israel (Charlotte)
* Temple Israel (Kinston)
* Emanuel (Statesville)
* Temple of Israel (Wilmington)

North Dakota|

* B'nai Israel (Grand Forks)

Ohio|

* Tifereth-Israel (Beachwood)
* Agudas Achim (Bexley)
* Golf Manor (Cincinnati)
* Rockdale (Cincinnati)
* Wise Temple (Cincinnati)
* Anshe Chesed Fairmount (Cleveland)
* Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai (Cleveland)
* Park Synagogue (Cleveland)
* Silver Sanctuary (Cleveland)
* Temple Israel (Columbus)
* Temple Israel (Dayton)
* Beth Israel (Hamilton)
* B'nai Israel (Toledo)

Oklahoma|

* B'nai Israel (Oklahoma City)
* Temple Israel (Tulsa)

Oregon|

* Beth Israel (Eugene)
* Beth Israel (Portland)
* Neveh Shalom (Portland)
* Shaarie Torah (Portland)

Pennsylvania|

| Philadelphia|

* Beit Harambam
* Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel
* B'nai Abraham
* Henry S. Frank Memorial
* Germantown Jewish Centre
* Keneseth Israel
* Mikveh Israel
* Rodeph Shalom
* Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel
* Society Hill
* South Philadelphia Shtiebel
* Vilna Congregation
* YPC Shari-Eli

|

* Beth Israel (Altoona)
* Beth Israel (Chester County)
* B'nai Shalom (Easton)
* Anshe Hesed (Erie)
* Beth Shalom (Elkins Park)
* Kesher Israel (Harrisburg)
* Ohev Sholom (Harrisburg)
* Beth Israel (Honesdale)
* Beth Israel (Lebanon)
* Beth Or (Maple Glen)
* Adath Israel of the Main Line (Merion)
* B'nai Jacob (Middletown)
* Rodef Shalom (Pittsburgh)
* Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha (Pittsburgh)
* Kesher Zion (Reading)
* Beth Israel (Washington)
* Beth Israel (York)

Rhode Island|

* Touro (Newport)
* Beth-El (Providence)
* Sons of Jacob (Providence)

South Carolina|

* Beth Israel (Beaufort)
* Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (Charleston)
* House of Peace (Columbia)
* Beth Israel (Florence)
* Beth Elohim (Georgetown)
* Kol Ami (Fort Mill)
* Sinai (Sumter)

Tennessee|

* Adas Israel (Brownsville)
* Mizpah (Chattanooga)
* B'nai Israel (Jackson)
* Baron Hirsch (Memphis)
* Israel (Memphis)
* Ohabai Sholom (Nashville)
* Sherith Israel (Nashville)

Texas|

* Agudas Achim (Austin)
* Beth Israel (Austin)
* Emanuel (Beaumont)
* B'nai Abraham (Brenham)
* Emanu-El (Dallas)
* Beth Jacob (Galveston)
* B'nai Israel (Galveston)
* Beth Israel (Houston)
* Beth Yeshurun (Houston)
* Sinai (Houston)
* Beth-El (San Antonio)

Utah|

* B'rith Sholem (Ogden)
* Kol Ami (Salt Lake City)

Vermont|

* Ohavi Zedek (Burlington)
* Old Ohavi Zedek (Burlington)
* Rutland Jewish Center

Virginia|

* Agudas Achim (Alexandria)
* Beth El (Alexandria)
* Beth Israel (Charlottesville)
* Rodef Shalom (Falls Church)
* Sinai (Newport News)
* Commodore Levy Chapel (Norfolk)
* Beth Ahabah (Richmond)
* Kol Emes (Richmond)
* Beth Israel (Roanoke)
* Adath Israel (Rutland)
* House of Israel (Staunton)
* Beth El (Winchester)

Washington|

* Beth Israel (Bellingham)
* Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath (Seattle)
* Ezra Bessaroth (Seattle)
* Kavana Cooperative (Seattle)
* Sephardic Bikur Holim (Seattle)
* De Hirsch Sinai (Seattle and Belleview)

West Virginia|

* Ohev Sholom (Huntington)
* Shalom (Wheeling)

Wisconsin|

* Beth El (Madison)
* Beth Israel Ner Tamid (Milwaukee)
* Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun (River Hills)

Wyoming|

* Mt Sinai (Cheyenne)

Territories|

* Virgin Islands

* Oldest U.S. synagogues
* History
* Category
* People

This article about a synagogue or other Jewish place of worship in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template