1885-1947

First Adas Kodesch Synagogue

Although there had been a handful of immigrant Jews, including such trades people as tailors, shoemakers, coppersmiths and peddlers in this community since the end of the seventeenth century, it was not until 1885 that the Orthodox Adas Kodesch Congregation was founded.  Hyman Rezits was engaged, not only as the spiritual leader of this new congregation, but also served as its chazzan, shochet and mohel until his death in 1930.  Four years later, the congregation was incorporated and moved to its first permanent quarters at 211 Market Street- on the second floor.

Interestingly, during the same time that Adas Kodesch was founded, another congregation, called Orthodox Ahavath Achim or Brotherly Love, was founded in Wilmington.    Although it appears that there was some conflict in the community between the two congregations, there was a compromise a year later when the congregations merged in 1890 and became known as Adas Kodesch K’nesset Israel Congregation.  With this merger the congregation moved to the second floor of a building located at  3rd and Shipley Streets.  Yet another move took place-this time to the second floor of 418 Shipley Street.

As the community’s Jewish population continued to grow, there was a recognition that  the congregation needed a building of its own.  A committee, under the chairmanship of Gidel Podolsky, was formed and, in 1897, Mr. Podolsky deposited the first $100 in a bank for the Building Fund of the Congregation.   As a result of the efforts of the Building Fund Committee, the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at 6th and French Streets was purchased for the synagogue for $5,625, and on August 4, 1898 the dedication of the synagogue took place.  Attending this event were Christian ministers and lay people of several churches in town.    

During this same time period, yet another name change of the congregation took place.  Adas Kodesh K’nesset Israel now became known as Adas Kodesch Baron de Hirsch in honor of the great philanthropist, Baron Maurice de Hirsch.  Under the principalship of J. Harry Gordon, a five-day–a-week religious school  with an enrollment of 80 children was also  established  which was an expansion of the Sunday school  which Mr. Gordon had established earlier.

The congregation continued to grow, and by the turn of the century, Adas Kodesch Baron de Hirsch Congregation had a membership of 84 families with 123 children in its religious school.

At this time a group of Jews who preferred the Sephardic ritual established the Chesed Shel Emeth Congregation , under the leadership of Rabbi Goldstein and its president, Morris Chaiken.   The group first met at 3rd and Shipley Street and erected its first building on Shipley Street below Third Street, which it occupied until its merger with Adas Kodesch in 1957.

By 1906, with the continued growth of the Jewish population of Wilmington, a new Building Fund Committee was established to build a new synagogue.   Construction of the new building proceeded, and when sufficient funds could not be raised among its congregants, the Building Committee turned to the Christian community and obtained the funds needed to complete the building of the synagogue.  The synagogue was dedicated in 1908 at 6th and French Streets, and once again there was a change in its name to Orthodox Adas Kodesch Congregation, dropping the name Baron de Hirsch. This name remained until its merger with Chesed Shel Emeth.

Adas Kodesch Congregation 1941
Lookin up 6th St. from French St.

Boy Scout Troop #28 started in Adas Kodesch about 1927, led by its first scoutmaster, Martin Horowitz and then by Isadore Silverman for 15 years. Over 500 boys were involved in this troop.

In 1943, the Associated Hebrew School was established which merged the Adas Kodesch and Chesed  Shel Emeth Hebrew Schools.

1947-1985

In September 1945, Rabbi Joseph Singer, who had been the rabbi of Congregation Chevrah T’hillim in New Orleans, Louisiana, became the rabbi of Adas Kodesch Congregation, succeeding Rabbi Solomon Schulson.   Rabbi Schulson, who had also served as chazzan and schochet, had delivered his sermons in Yiddish, except during the High Holidays when he read his English sermons written by his son, a Ph.D in sociology.

With the arrival of Rabbi Singer, who was born in California and received his s’micha, or orthodox ordination, from Yeshiva University, important changes began to take place.  Rabbi Singer not only delivered his sermons in English to the approval of its American-born members, but the congregation also peacefully introduced mixed seating  with the approval, not only of Rabbi Singer’s father-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Heller, but also that of Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin, the president of Yeshiva University.  Rabbi Singer also initiated a “late service” on Friday evening for ten Sabbaths of every season and also initiated a Sunday morning minyan program for Bar-Mitzvah boys. 

It was during Rabbi Singer’s tenure that the congregation engaged Rev. Abraham Vegh, who had been a shochet  in Joseph Waldman’s slaughter house, as its chazzan.

When in July, 1947, an opportunity presented itself at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center in New York, Rabbi and Mrs. Singer left Adas Kodesch Congregation and moved to Brooklyn, New York.

Rabbi Leonard Gewirtz, who was born in New York City and who was currently serving as a rabbi in a congregation in Chicago, was offered the position of rabbi.  He had received a B.S.S. from City College in New York, an M.A. in Social Ethics from University of Chicago and full s’micha from Hebrew Theological College in Chicago. 

Reacting to a debate within the congregation which had taken place prior to his arrival as to whether an Orthodox or Conservative Rabbi should be engaged, Rabbi Gewirtz suggested that the synagogue be considered “Traditional”. His philosophy was to retain all of the traditional practices of the Congregation, but he would introduce the educational and organizational techniques that would change the tone of the congregation to appeal to an American-raised membership.  Rabbi Gewirtz, by juxtaposing the thoughts of great Jewish minds of the 20th century with the thoughts of great secular minds, appealed to young people who saw that Torah Judaism was relevant to the needs of their day.  During the period, 1948-1950, the image of Adas Kodesch was changed with Rabbi Gewirtz’s introduction of an intellectual vitality, the Young Israel style of davening and newer melodies which were introduced by Cantor Vegh.

In 1954, Rabbi Gewirtz proposed that Adas Kodesch establish its own religious school, known as a “Talmud Torah”. After much discussion, the Adas Kodesch Talmud Torah was established in 1955, with Rabbi Gewirtz as the principal and teacher of the “Heh” class.   He also trained boys for Bar Mitzvah and, subsequently, introduced the Bat Mitzvah ceremony for the girls.  Mrs. Gewirtz and Mrs. Revitch were the other teachers on the Talmud Torah faculty. In 1957, Rabbi Zalman Diskin was engaged to be the principal of the Talmud Torah, and he and his wife, Hilda, were also teachers in the school.

With the growth in membership it became evident that Adas Kodesch required a new synagogue which would house a school, a Bet Midrash and library.  Once again, a Building Committee was appointed to discuss location and a fund-raising campaign.

During this time, the Chesed Shel Emeth Congregation continued as in the past and employed through the years such spiritual leaders as Rabbi Philip First, Rabbi Eliezer Ebner, Rabbi Moses Ruttner and Rabbi Israel Turner.  However, Chesed  Shel Emeth  developed economic as well as other problems, and the leadership of that congregation agreed to merge with Adas Kodesch.   In 1957 Dr. Harold Rafal became the first president of the merged congregation.

In 1961, Rabbi Gewirtz published his first book “The Authentic Jew and His Judaism”, which received national recognition.

THE NEW SYNAGOGUE

Along with the sale of both synagogue buildings downtown, various savings funds and bonds, plus a proposed building fund campaign, the lay leadership felt that that they could collect sufficient funds for the erection of a new beautiful synagogue on land that became available at auction on North Washington Boulevard near Lea Boulevard. However, sufficient funds were not raised, and another campaign was conducted. The executors of the Harry Cohen Estate, Sam and Sadie Cohen, sold the home of their parents and gave the funds to the Building Campaign.

Percival Goodman, the leading Synagogue architect in the United States, was chosen as the Synagogue architect.  The building was to cost $650,000 without any furnishings.  With the sale of all property and collected donations, the Congregations raised $250,000 and assumed a mortgage of $400,000.

Louis Cohen became the president of the Synagogue and although there were no pews, Ahron-HaKodesch or parking lot at this time, the congregation was happy with its new home.

PURCHASE OF THE PARSONAGE

In 1990, the Synagogue purchased a home on Walton Road, located at the end of the synagogue parking lot, to serve as a parsonage.  Rabbi Nathan Schorr and his wife, Bea, were the first to live in this home when he became the Rabbi of Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth.  Rabbi Schorr served as our spiritual leader until October, 1992.

THE TREE OF LIFE

The Tree of Life was installed in the lobby of the synagogue by Sisterhood in 1977. Not only has this display enhanced the beauty of the lobby, but it has also served as a fundraiser which has enabled our members to note simchas in their own lives and in the lives of their loved ones.

THE HARRY COHEN TRUST FUND

The Harry Cohen Foundation, established in 1957 at the time of the passing of Harry Cohen, set aside $1.25 million to be allocated to the local Jewish community.  At the time of his death, the income of his entire estate was left to the beneficiary agencies in stipulated amounts.  The income was distributed to the agencies on a yearly basis by his daughter, Sadie Toumarkine, in her lifetime and now by other heirs of the estate.  The bequest  to Adas Kodesch has made possible many activities that would have been otherwise curtailed.

Since 1959, the AKSE Congregation has received a total of $921,447.  In appreciation of its benefactor, the AKSE Congregation dedicated the whole school building to the memory of Harry and Yetta Cohen.