A Guided Tour of Temple Anshe Amunim
Designed by architect Henry l. Blatner of Albany, New York, Temple Anshe Amunim’s home reflects the fundamental Jewish concept of the Unity of the Oneness of God. Every component of the building is dedicated to this single idea. Blatner conceived the major block design as the single mass and adapted the building to the sloping terrain to strengthen the feeling of unity and to illustrate the Jewish belief in the importance of life on earth. The boulders at the entrance of the building were placed there to symbolize the journey of Moses up Mount Sinai to receive the Tablets of the Law. The upward path leads directly to the Sanctuary where the Holy Ark is situated.
The Ark, designed by sculptor Emanuel Milstein of New York, is a strong interior focal point. The Ner Tomid, the Menorah and an abstract of the Ten Commandments on the doors are all incorporated into the Ark.
The Temple is the first building constructed in Pittsfield specifically designed as a House of Worship for a Jewish congregation. The building won two awards from the American Institute of Architecture in 1964 and was chosen by the Journal of Israeli Architecture as one of the eight synagogues of the world. It is featured in America’s Religious Treasures (Vuillmier & Vuilleumier, Harper& Row), The Structure of Praise (Arthur B. Mazmanian, Beacon Press), and New England Worships (John Wedda, Random House)*.
*(Adapted from “Temple Anshe Amunim: A Magnificent House of Worship” by Charles Morrey for The Berkshire Sampler, July 1, 1973.)
Our Temple is handicap-accessible, as we are dedicated to encouraging all people who desire to attend our services and events the ability to do so.
When services are held in the sanctuary, musical accompaniment is provided by locally renowned musician Dr. Alan Gold, the Temple’s Musical Director since 1995. During the High Holidays and special services, Alan is joined by the Temple’s Adult Volunteer Choir, whose diligent preparations throughout the summer season add immeasurable meaning and comfort to the experience of the High Holidays at our Temple.
Our Sanctuary is also home annually to the Hilda Vallin Feigenbaum Memorial Lecture. Established by Drs. Armand and Donald Feigenbaum as a living tribute to honor their beloved mother, the Feigenbaum Lecture has featured renowned scholars such as Julian Bond, Steve Emerson, Mara Liasson, Dr. Peter Salgo, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and this year featured Newsweek’s Chief Political Correspondent, Howard Fineman.
In addition to our beautiful spacious sanctuary, Temple Anshe Amunim’s first floor is home to our chapel, dedicated to the memory of devoted member Mervin Wineberg by his family and the Temple community. The Wineberg chapel allows for a more intimate and interactive service setting, creating more direct participation with prayer during our lively Saturday Morning Shabbat Services and Torah study.
Our first floor also features the Julius and Rose Adler Mason Library, an ever-expanding treasure trove of over 2,500 books on Jewish history, fiction, non-fiction, Holocaust, and reference materials, just to name a few. Thanks to the efforts of our library committee, our catalog is now digitally on file, and our shelves have been reorganized in order to allow greater access to materials.
Ascending from the sanctuary, our third floor features our large social hall, home to many meals and programs, as well as our monthly Friday Congregational Shabbat dinners, graciously arranged by dinner coordinator and Temple Vice-President, Robyn Rosen. Our stage has been home to many musical productions, including “Club Anshe” and our annual Purimspiel. 2009’s Temple Purim Festival Featured “It’s Just a Spiel!”, a hilarious take on the book of Esther, written and directed by Dr. Alan Gold. During the High Holidays, our social hall is also home to our highly anticipated Rosh Hashanah Yom Tov Onegs, as well as our Yom Kippur Break-the-fast meals.
Our third floor also features a large kitchen and ten classrooms for the religious school, one of which is currently home to Hadassah of the Berkshires.
Our Temple is further enriched by the wonderful contributions of beautiful artwork by our members and friends. The Women of Reform Judaism in particular have been incredibly proactive in beautifying our building, as two large tapestries designed by and created by the members adorn the social hall walls, and in 2000, our exquisite Torah Covers were completed, which were designed by local artist Jonathan Nix.
The beauty of Temple Anshe Amunim’s architecture and ambience has been recognized by several publications and periodicals throughout the 45 years we have spent in our Broad Street Building. We have been featured in several books, including New England Worships (John Wedda, Random House - 1965), The Structure of Praise (Arthur B. Mazmanian, Beacon Press - 1970), and America’s Religious Treasures (Marion Vuilleumier, Harper & Row - 1976).
We hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour of our home – you are invited to join us and experience the joy offered by our community!
To learn more about us, call the Temple office at (413) 442-5910, or e-mail us at templeoffice@rnetworx.com
