Washington’s oldest synagogue has completed a two-day move on 28 balloon tires to a new site and a new role as a museum operated by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. The 93 year-old building was the home of Washington’s Adas Israel Congregation when it opened its doors in 1876. It has not been used as a house of worship since 1908 but was retained by the congregation and recently declared an historic landmark.
The Historical Society acquired the building but it had to be moved to a new site to make way for Washington’s subway system. It took two days to move the 270-ton, 58-by-25-foot structure to its new location three blocks from the old site. A Virginia-based moving firm received a $45,000 contract for the job. The Historical Society conducted ceremonies today celebrating the preservation of the building.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
