# Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim

Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim known locally as "The Jewish Temple" is an historic Jewish synagogue located in Alexandria, Louisiana, in the United States. Founded in 1859 by Jews from the Alsace region of France, it is one of the oldest congregations in Louisiana and one of the original founding members of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, now known as the Union for Reform Judaism.

## History

Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim was originally established as the Hebrew Benevolent Society of Rapides Parish in 1852 in order to provide a Jewish Cemetery for burials. One belief for this is that certain families bought a burial ground when a small outbreak of yellow fever claimed six Jewish lives in the early 1850s. Eventually, the society evolved into a congregation in 1859. The first President of the Temple was Isaac Levy.
In 1860, the Jewish women of Alexandria assembled to found the Ladies' Hebrew Benevolent Society in order to raise money to buy real estate on which a temple could be built. The Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society eventually changed its name to the Temple Sisterhood. In 1869, the Temple Sisterhood held a fundraising ball to raise money to build a synagogue at the corner of Third and Fiske Streets. Construction of the temple concluded in 1871. Two years later the congregation joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now URJ) and hired Rabbi Marx Klein as its first rabbi.
Gemiluth Chassodim experienced great increase in its membership, from 123 families in 1925, to 154 families in 1930 and 203 families in 1945. The "Second Temple," which stood as an imposing Greek Revival structure (more than three stories tall) with a dome burned in 1956. The congregation had already constructed its current Mid-Century modern structure on Turner Street in the early 1950s. Designed by Max Heinberg, it stands as a unique example of Mid-Century modern architecture even to this day. In the early 1960s, the current sanctuary, offices, and classrooms were added. The sanctuary is capable of holding some 350 people at maximum capacity.
Thirty-four presidents and 25 rabbis have served the temple. In 2013, Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman became the twenty-fifth rabbi of the Temple after leaving Mt. Sinai Synagogue in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 2016, Rabbi Peter Schaktman served the congregation.
The congregation hired its first female clergy member since its founding in 1859, Rabbi Cantor Raina Siroty in 2017.

## Today

Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim remains an active part of the Greater Alexandria community. It serves as a regional synagogue drawing in members from such neighboring communities as: Natchitoches, Leesville, Natchez, Winnfield, and Fort Johnson. Its current membership consists of approximately 120 member families with a religious school of 30 students. Its previous two rabbis, Martin Hinchin and Arnold Task served a combined 52 years in their service to the congregation.
Shabbat services are held weekly on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. The Temple actively hosts numerous guest speakers, concerts, and cultural events for the Jewish and non-Jewish communities of Alexandria.

## Clergy

The following individuals have served as rabbi of the congregation:
| Ordinal | Name | Term started | Term ended | Term of office |
| 1 | Marx Klein | 1873 | 1879 | 5–6 years |
| 2 | M. Weinstein | 1881 | 1882 | 0–1 years |
| 3 | Abraham Meyer | 1882 | 1884 | 1–2 years |
| 4 | H. Joseph M. Chumaceiro | 1884 | 1885 | 0–1 years |
| 5 | Israel Heinberg | 1888 | 1889 | 0–1 years |
| 6 | Hyman Saft | 1889 | 1891 | 1–2 years |
| 7 | Louis Schreiber | 1892 | 1895 | 2–3 years |
| 8 | Alex Rosenspitz | 1895 | 1901 | 5–6 years |
| 9 | Emile Ellinger | 1901 | 1905 | 3–4 years |
| 10 | Herman J. Elkin | 1905 | 1907 | 1–2 years |
| 11 | Leonard J. Rothstein | 1907 | 1918 | 10–11 years |
| 12 | Harry Weiss | 1919 | 1920 | 0–1 years |
| 13 | Myron M. Meyer | 1921 | 1926 | 4–5 years |
| 14 | H. Cerf Strauss | 1927 | 1930 | 2–3 years |
| 15 | Albert G. Baum | 1930 | 1942 | 11–12 years |
| 16 | Abraham Shinedling | 1943 | 1944 | 0–1 years |
| 17 | H. Bruce Ehrmann | 1946 | 1947 | 0–1 years |
| 18 | Mordecai M. Thurman | 1947 | 1951 | 3–4 years |
| 19 | Robert J. Schur | 1952 | 1956 | 3–4 years |
| 20 | Joel C. Dobin | 1957 | 1957 | 0 years |
| 21 | Martin I. Hinchin | 1958 | 1988 | 29–30 years |
| 22 | James L. Kessler | 1988 | 1989 | 0–1 years |
| 23 | Arnold S. Task | 1989 | 2011 | 21–22 years |
| 24 | Harley Karz-Wagman | 2013 | 2016 | 2–3 years |
| 25 | Peter Schaktman | 2016 | 2017 | 0–1 years |
| 26 | Raina Siroty | 2017 | incumbent | 7–8 years |

## Notable members

* Sylvan Friedman, politician

## Gallery

* The Historic Menorah Upon The Bimah
* The Aseret HaDibrot And The Ner Tamid
* The Ner Tamid Looking Toward The Stained-Glass Ceiling
* The Aron Kodesh
* L'Dor V'Dor Monument And Garden
* View Of The Sanctuary From The Bimah
* The Bimah
* View Of The Sanctuary From Rear