{"nrhp_refnum":"98001620","name":"B'nai Israel Synagogue","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NY 52","address_restricted":false,"city":"Woodbourne","county":"Sullivan County","state":"NY","lat":41.75264079500005,"lon":-73.80824638599995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-01-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Social History","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story wood-frame synagogue on NYS Route 52 in the hamlet of Woodbourne, Sullivan County, New York, built in 1920 per the description (the significance section says 1922) and constructed by members of the congregation.","why_significant":"It is significant as a representative early twentieth century synagogue in Sullivan County, serving as the only Jewish meeting place and a cultural and social center for Woodbourne's Eastern European Jewish community of farmers, resort operators and merchants. Its architecture combines Eastern European orthodox synagogue features, regional ecclesiastical forms and resort-era materials.","narrative":"Set close to Route 52 in the center of Woodbourne, this two-story wood-frame synagogue has a steep gable roof, a deep wooden cornice with returns, and tall lancet-arched windows on the sanctuary level. A round window with a Star of David sits in the gable. Asbestos shingles now cover the original stucco. Inside, the second-floor sanctuary keeps its pressed-metal coved ceiling, cornice and traces of stenciled decoration, though later finishes hide much of it. Members of the congregation built the synagogue themselves in 1922 to save money. It served Eastern European Jewish farmers, resort keepers and merchants who settled around Woodbourne in the early twentieth century, and it was the hamlet's only Jewish meeting place. Its original orthodox layout placed the bimah at the center, with separate seating for women. The building was recognized for its role in the social life of this community and as a representative Sullivan County synagogue combining orthodox traditions with regional architectural forms. It remains in active use.","period_of_significance":"1922","architect_builder":"unknown (built by members of the congregation)","architectural_style":"no style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as an active synagogue, serving mainly the year-round population of Woodbourne; original stucco is covered by asbestos shingles and the interior plan has been modestly altered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:51.570524-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/98001620.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001620/95631b9eea-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001620/95631b9eea-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Vonsky87","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%27nai_Israel_Synagogue,_Woodbourne_NY.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Vonsky87</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%27nai_Israel_Synagogue,_Woodbourne_NY.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75322343","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%27nai_Israel_Synagogue_(Woodbourne,_New_York)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4833619"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/sullivan-county/bnai-israel-synagogue-98001620/"}