CARR 211-212 - Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi

QUESTION: May a synagogue be named after the rabbi of the

congregation? (Rabbi S. Barack, Minneapolis, MN)ANSWER: There has been a

general reluctance among us to name the synagogue proper after an individual, although

subsidiary buildings as school wings and auditoriums have been frequently named after

outstanding individuals. Philo referred to Roman synagogues named for Roman Emperors, so

there were synagogues of Augustus, Volumnius, Agrippa, Severus and even Herod (H.

Vogelstein, History of the Jews of Rome p. 27). The Talmud did not

report synagogues named after living individuals although it dealt with a number of instances in

which synagogues were named in honor of Biblical figures (Eruv. 21a). There were three

synagogues named after Moses in Syria, while others elsewhere were named for Elijah, Ezra,

Daniel, etc. That custom has occasionally been followed in later periods, so congregations in the

United States have used Biblical names. In Jerusalem, there are various synagogues

named after great Jewish scholars, so we have the Ramban Synagogue which seems to have

been built by Nahmanides, after whom it is named, in the year 1267. Similarly, there is Johanan

ben Zakai Synagogue, as well as the Judah Hasid Synagogue. More recently, we have the Porat

Joseph Synagogue which seems to have been built in 1914 by a Sephardi from Calcutta. These

synagogues and others in Israel, especially in Safed and Tiberias, represent both the Sephardic

and the Ashkenazic tradition. There are several modern synagogues in Tel Aviv and elsewhere

which have been named after significant individuals or generous donors. In the Middle

Ages, the city of Prague had a number of synagogues named after their donors, so the famous

old Pinkas Synagogue was named after Rabbi Pinkas Horowitz and was subsequently

refurbished by his descendants. There also is the Meisel Synagogue, the Popper Synagogue and

the Salkind Zieguiner Synagogue. Prague, however, seems unique in establishing this particular

custom in Europe. In America, a number of congregations have dedicated their

sanctuaries to a person without, however, naming them after that individual. So, for example, the

Temple of Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi J.

Leonard Levy, who died shortly after the last mortgage payment was made. He had insisted that

there be no formal dedication until this had been done. If my memory serves me correctly, the

new temple in Birmingham, Michigan, is named after its donor. As we can see,

synagogues through the ages have been named after individuals, so we must explain the

reluctance of our western Ashkenazic tradition to do so. Perhaps it is due to the problem of

maintaining a synagogue which had been named after a particular donor. It is probably difficult to

attract gifts from others. That is a problem which has been encountered by many of us when

refurbishing of a room or wing has had to be undertaken. The offspring of the original donors

may not possess their interest or their means, and then the congregation may be helpless.

However, this problem would not arise if a temple is named in honor of its rabbi or another

outstanding, widely recognized leader. There would be nothing in tradition which

prohibits naming a synagogue after an outstanding rabbi. It would be a fine way of honoring such

an individual and assuring a continuation of his ideals. If your congregation should

decide to name its temple for Rabbi Max Shapiro, my honored classmate, it would certainly

represent a well-deserved tribute.March 1980