Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel

Congregation KTI (Hebrew: כנםת תפארת 'שראל‎), also known as the Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel, is a Conservative Jewish congregation located at 575 King Street, in Port Chester county of Westchester, New York, United States.

Early years: Worship in Member's Homes

Founded in September 19, 1887 (the first day of Rosh Hashanah in the year 5648) in the home of one of its members. In its early years, the congregation was made up of Jews who were "dissatisfied" with "a service that did not reflect their achievements and aspirations" nor satisfy their "emotional need for acknowledgement of their European roots" (93 The Jews of Westchester by Shragel and Drimmer). It was a time when Jewish communities bifurcated "as much for social reasons as for differences in ideology" (94). While mostly Orthodox in background, many of the members began to look more flexibly at traditions, which was seen as a somewhat necessary step. Some favored Friday evening services where men could linger. However, social strife crept in and "uncomfortable with the presence of German Jews at Port Chester's Kneses Israel," eight Russian peddlers split off to create Congregation Tifereth Israel in 1903. Both groups were drawn to more flexible conservative practice, which was not yet recognized, but were not seeking the more popular Reform movement. Finding their roots in a more Conservative practice that preserved the bulk of their religious and social traditions, the two congregations merged in 1927, forming what is now Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel.

With more members, meeting at congregants' homes became untenable, and they sought to acquire property. While it is not clear when it was purchased, KTI was housed, for some time, in the Traverse Avenue Synagogue and was sold in 1960 to the Port Chester Carver Center. In 1953, the congregation purchased the land on which it remains and the campus currently houses four buildings (two residences for clergy, the Gantz School building, and the main sanctuary). Today, the congregation draws membership from the greater Westchester area—specifically from Rye, Port Chester, Rye Brook, and nearby Greenwich, CT.

The main sanctuary was designed in 1953 by noted architect Philip Johnson, and the building was completed in 1956.

2006: Renovation of Main Sanctuary

In 2006, citing issues with the congregations changing needs and the need for increased accessibility, the congregation sold its bima to the Jewish Museum in New York City.

Sanctuary and bima

Congregation KTI bima (pre 2006)

Design and Architectural Significance

It is well documented that [Philip Johnson] had given the design of the sanctuary to the congregation as a "kind of atonement" for siding with the Nazis in the 30s and 40s.^[1] It is unclear whether this donation to KTI was altruistic or in the service of gaining patrons for his work, and in that vein, needed to expunge the "taint" of anti-Semitism in order to ingratiate himself to the philanthropist, List.

The design of the building was intended to scale for the high holidays when attendance "swells."

Building Uses

In 2013, the campus was chosen to be used as the site of Jonathan Tropper's film adaptation of This Is Where I Leave You. Interior and exterior scenes of the synagogue were shot on the site and approximately 40 congregants were used as extras.^[2][3]

References

External links

Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel website