Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

DC synagogue wheeled to new site for the third time

Following the recitation of the Jewish traveler’s prayer, the Adas Israel synagogue, built back in 1876, was ceremoniously moved one block down Third Street.

Adas Israel, the oldest synagogue in the nation’s capital, was wheeled to its final location on Jan. 9, 2019. Credit: Zachary Leshin.
Adas Israel, the oldest synagogue in the nation’s capital, was wheeled to its final location on Jan. 9, 2019. Credit: Zachary Leshin.

The oldest synagogue in the U.S. capital was wheeled on Wednesday to its third and likely final location.

Following the recitation of the Jewish traveler’s prayer, the Adas Israel synagogue, built back in 1876, was ceremoniously moved one block down Third Street. It will neighbor the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington’s 25,000-square-foot, $40 million Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum, scheduled to open in 2021.

The Jewish Historical Society displayed some of the museum’s artifacts, such as a lace collar worn by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in addition to a law school notebook used by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.

The building was last moved in 2016 to allow for the construction of the $1.3 billion, 2.2 million-square-foot multipurpose Capitol Crossing project.

“There are very sad, bad actors who go about their frustrations in the wrong ways, but we can’t let that keep us down,” Melissa Levy of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center told JNS.
Oleksiy Tsyapalo’s lawyer told the court that his client wasn’t dangerous and that “as a Jewish man, standing right next to him, I do not feel any threat from my client.”
In an interview with JNS, the World Zionist Organization president reflects on the loss of his son, rising anti-Zionism and the need for Jewish unity.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center argued that evidence of Jewish students hiding their identities would be viewed differently if they belonged to another protected group.
“We’re continuing to support critical security enhancements to help ensure that community members can safely gather, worship, and access services without fear,” the state said.
Anas Said faces up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines for concealing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and making false statements.