The oldest Jewish building in Central Phoenix turns 100 years old. “People often say Phoenix doesn’t have a lot of history,” said Lawrence Bell, executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. “The other thing people like to say about Phoenix is that it’s not a very diverse city. And both are completely wrong. ”The Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center was built in 1921 and began as the Temple Beth Israel. But it wasn’t just a synagogue, it was also a community center. “It was the very beginning of our community,” said Bell. The Exterior of the Beth Israel Temple Courtesy Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Pearl and Cicl Newmark Memorial Archives After the congregation, eventually called Congregation Beth Israel, outgrew the building, they sold it to the Southern Baptist Convention in 1949. it became the first Chinese-speaking Christian church in Phoenix. In 1981 the First Chinese Baptist Church sold the building to a Mexican Baptist church, Iglesia Bautistia Central. The building’s centenary is a celebration of harmony and diversity between the three cultures and the birthplace of the Phoenix Jewish community. AZJHS is celebrating this occasion with a month-long series of events. “They had three different cultures, two different religions – and they all had the same space,” said Bell. The sale of the building involved relationships. The religious leaders of the Chinese Baptist Church and the Mexican Baptist Church knew each other, and the pastor of the former helped the pastor of the latter establish himself, Bell said. The Mexican Baptist minister was also a friend of Rabbi Albert Plotkin, who led Beth Israel from 1955 to 1991. He informed Plotkin that his church was moving and he thought the building should be back in the hands of the Jewish community. This is how Plotkin informed the AZJHS, which was founded in 1981. For the Jewish community, the building at 122 E. Culver Street not only housed a synagogue but also served as a social hall. “They had services, they had dances, they had community events, all kinds of activities,” Bell said. “Everything comes from there.” The building served a similar function as that of the First Chinese Baptist. It was a religious place but also served as a community center with social events, celebrations, and other gatherings. Founding members of the First Chinese Baptist Church in 1957 Courtesy of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Pearl and Cicl Newmark Memorial Archives Roxanne Song Ong, who grew up in that church and is still a member, said this was the only place to go that she might go to be among young Chinese besides school. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have had a chance to see each other. Most of us went to schools near our families, businesses, and homes, ”she said. She and most of her peers helped their parents run grocery stores and made church a valuable outing between working at the family shop, attending school, and doing homework. Because of her parents’ hard work, she and most of her friends were called professionals. Song Ong retired as the presiding judge at Phoenix City Court in 2014. She looks back on her time in the building and the history of the building and sees divine intervention in use. And not just for yourself, ”she said. “We all used this building for our individual and unique purposes, but also understood that it never really belonged to just one group.” Originally, however, the building was exclusively geared towards a rapidly growing Jewish community and their needs. Bell said that growth in itself is significant. “When people build a building, it means they are here to stay. You could celebrate Judaism and practice it yourself. But until you build a building, you’re not really here, ”he said. A century ago, AZJHS estimates that there were approximately 120 Jews in the Phoenix area. Today there are over 82,000 Jewish residents, according to Arizona State University’s 2019 Jewish Community Survey. Jerry Lewkowitz, whose parents were among the founders of Beth Israel, attended Sunday School there and has many fond memories of seeing the building become “an integral part of our cultural community”, and not just for the Jewish community. His daughter Barbara Lewkowitz grew up in the second location of the congregation in Phoenix, but said the 100-year-old The original church is of great importance to her. Her grandparents on both sides were among the founders of the temple. “We now have fifth generation members of the Beth Israel Congregation in our family, and I hope that we can continue the involvement, influence, and support we can give to both the Jewish community and the community into the future.” , she said. An event at Iglesia Bautistia Central Courtesy of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Pearl and Cicl Newmark Memorial Archives AZJHS bought the building from the Spanish-speaking Baptist Church in 2002 for $ 540,000 thanks to the help of Larry Cutler, the organization’s president from 1998- 2000. Plotkin and Cutler made initial contacts with the senior and subordinate ministers of Iglesia Bautista Central and the representative of the board of directors of Iglesia Bautista Central. At the end of 1998 he set up a building fund in the hope of being able to buy the building. Cutler said it was difficult to raise the money to buy the property and there was a point where AZJHS was in danger of unsuccessful and losing the down payment. Cutler was the first building fund contributor who became the serious contributor to the purchase of the building. This was important to Cutler because it reflected his passion for multicultural and interreligious dialogue. “I was not only committed to human rights, but also to bringing different groups together,” said Cutler. “That was important to my parents too, especially to my mother.” A service at Temple Beth Israel in 1948 Courtesy of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Pearl and Cicl Newmark Memorial Archives Cutler said he wanted to preserve the building as a holy place shared by people of different faiths and cultures, and bringing it back to the world Jewish community where it began. He shared his passion for building community bridges with Plotkin. “He really brought the Jewish community and every other community, both ethnic and religious, together, and that was always important to me,” Cutler said on the Phoenix site extending beyond that one building. He helped set up the Jewish Studies Program at Arizona State University and its interdisciplinary program. Cutler named the building after his parents, community leaders, and philanthropists who were killed in a car accident in 1980, and Plotkin – Cutler’s rabbi who grew up. Plotkin was so moved to be the namesake of the building, Cutler said he was moved to tears when Cutler took him to lunch to tell him. Plotkin died in February 2010, aged 89, shortly after AZJHS moved into the building after a $ 3.1 million renovation. Cutler and Bell said 100 years was a celebration alone and meaningfully in Arizona. It didn’t become a state until 1912, ”joked Cutler. On this occasion, AZJHS will show a historical exhibition entitled “If These Walls Could Talk” about the building. “The building itself is artifact number one,” said Bell. The exhibition is scheduled to open on October 18th and last until March 31st. The organization is holding a gala in honor of Cutler on October 30th, which coincides with the laying of the foundation stone in 1921. The event at Scottsdale Plaza Resort, 7200 N. Scottsdale Road, is only open to vaccinated people, ”said Bell. He hopes anyone who isn’t comfortable attending the live event will still donate online as his goal is to raise between $ 50,000 and $ 150,000. On November 7th, AZJHS is hosting a free community festival at the Heritage Center from 12pm to 4pm. These include musical performances, guest speakers, food trucks, and activities for families and children. Cutler said a place like the Heritage Center is “now almost more important than ever” as political, social and moral polarization has been observed in the US “We all have the same blood and we are all brothers and sisters. Something like that reminds us of that. And it’s a place where all people can go to learn more about others and appreciate our differences, ”he said. JN
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