Agudath Sholem Synagogue
a.k.a. Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church
29 Grove St., Stamford, CTAgudath Sholem Synagogue is associated with the oldest Jewish congregation in Stamford. Incorporated on September 7, 1889, the Orthodox congregation, according to a newspaper account, was able to buy a lot on Greyrock place in 1901 for its first synagogue building: the cornerstone was laid on August 7, 1904. However, the date is uncertain because the Stamford Land Records indicate land for the synagogue was bought in 1905. The building was dedicated on September 15, 1908. It burned in 1932.
The ground was broken for the present Grove Street building on September 12, 1933. Construction was completed in stages, as funds permitted, during the Depression, the final dedication taking place on April 27, 1941. The building was sold when the congregation moved west of downtown to a new building on Strawberry Hill Avenue, c. 1960.
While Congregation Agudath Sholem was the first organized Jewish body in Stamford, Jewish people resided there in small numbers continuously from 1859. By the turn of the century, the community had grown to about 125 families. From this group developed not only Agudath Sholem but also the Hebrew Institute, and its successor the Jewish Center. Temple Beth-El, and other organizations.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.