In the past 10 years, the Stamford Orthodox Jewish community has experienced geometric growth.  Several new kosher restaurants have opened, Torah learning has expanded, and youth activities at both Orthodox synagogues are bursting at the seams.

And while it’s infinitely more comfortable now to live a full and vibrant life as an observant Jew in Stamford than it was a generation or two ago, it’s important to point out that there has been an Orthodox community in Stamford dating back more than a century.

The Stamford Orthodox Jewish narrative is the story of early traditional roots, mid-century stabilization, and significant late-20th-century growth.  Stamford can now brag about being one of New England’s most vibrant Modern Orthodox communities … but it didn’t happen overnight.

In 1889, Congregation Agudath Sholom was founded.  Established by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, it served as a traditional Orthodox synagogue for a small but growing Jewish population.

The shul’s first building was erected in 1908 on Atlantic Street in the heart of the downtown merchant community.  The Orthodox population at that time consisted largely of small business owners and shopkeepers, who lived in tenements along Pacific Street.

Jewish life centered around the shul, but there were also several kosher butcher shops, a local chevra kadisha, and informal Hebrew education that served a modest but stable Orthodox population for the next few decades, through World War II.

After World War II, many Jewish families moved from the Bronx and Upper Manhattan to live in suburban Stamford, as they sought stronger schools and a higher quality of life.  In 1941, Congregation Agudath Sholom moved its synagogue uptown, and then into a more modern building in 1965, signaling a further suburban shift and increased stability.

In 1948, Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz – a young graduate of RIETS – was hired to be the shul’s rabbi, and he proved to be a pivotal figure in the growth of the Orthodox community.  He attracted many traditionally minded families who ordinarily might not associate with an Orthodox synagogue – and the shul grew to more than 800 member families, becoming the largest Orthodox synagogue in New England.

Rabbi Ehrenkranz combined strong Orthodox leadership with pioneering interfaith work, raising Agudath Sholom’s profile nationally.  In 1978, he met with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat as part of a peace pilgrimage to Cairo and jerusalem initiated at Sadat’s invitation.  This peace mission and his meeting with Sadat were widely covered in the press at the time.

Rabbi Ehrenkranz also met with Pope John Paul II in 1990. This was the first of eight face-to-face meetings he would have with the pontiff focusing on Jewish-Catholic relations.

Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy – Stamford’s very first Jewish day school — was founded in 1956. It was established by Walter Shuchatowitz, who served for decades as its head of school. Although it was an Orthodox day school under the Torah u’Mesorah umbrella, its unusual name reflected the desire for the school to blend American democratic values with Jewish traditions, reflecting the cultural and historical context of the time.

Eventually it became one of the flagship Modern Orthodox day schools in the New York metropolitan area, attracting many families outside of Stamford and anchoring long-term Orthodox growth for the Stamford Jewish community. This was crucial, as strong Orthodox communities require strong Jewish day schools.  Today the school boasts a K-12 program serving about 400 students.

In 1979, the Young Israel of Stamford was established … and offered Orthodox families a smaller and less formal lay-led Orthodox service to attend.  Rabbi Kenneth Auman was the shul’s first rabbi.  In 1986, the shul completed its building, which is where congregants still daven today. Since the shul is located about a half-mile north of Congregation Agudath Sholom, it opened additional areas of housing that were near a shul, an important component to the success of the Orthodox community. The Young Israel has recently experienced significant growth – and now numbers about 175 member families.

The 1980s saw the completion of the Stamford eruv and the community’s first Chabad center.  Chabad launched a Jewish nursery school and a summer day camp, which proved to be extremely popular with the growing Modern Orthodox population.  For many years, Chabad of Stamford was housed in the former building of Congregation Agudath Sholom’s Hebrew school … until they moved into their own building in 2006.

During the last few decades, Stamford’s Orthodox community has witnessed many additional features and activities that have contributed to its growth: adult learning opportunities … youth programming for all ages … a state-of-the-art mikveh … activities for the 55+ crowd … high-level shiurim.  There is strong lay leadership at both Orthodox synagogues today, and many young families have taken on important roles and are committed to the long-term success of the Stamford Orthodox community.

The future indeed looks bright.  Hopefully, the new generation of young Orthodox families will continue to build on the foundation that prior generations have established … and our community will thrive for many decades to come.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)