History or comments

One of the oldest synagogues in Sullivan County.

Quoted from Wikipedia:

As the 19th century yielded to the 20th, Jewish immigrants began coming to the southern Catskill Mountains to stay at, and later operate, summer resort communities. There were enough in South Fallsburg to build the synagogue, originally known as Ahavas Achim, in 1902. Its design owed much to the congregants’ memory of synagogues in the Eastern European countries many had originally emigrated from. All Jews were welcome to join regardless of whether they were Orthodox or not.

In 1910 the congregation changed its name to the South Fallsburg Hebrew Association, reflecting its function as a center for local Jews regardless of religious sect. It bought and operated a local secular Yiddish school. Enough Jews had made South Fallsburg their permanent home after vacationing there that the synagogue held weekly meetings year-round. Members were prosperous enough to begin banking money for synagogue expansions, and in 1919 the building was elevated to build a Talmud Torah school in the new basement. A women’s gallery was added and the building was elongated to accommodate the growing congregation. At this time a new ark was also built.

The main floor is devoted to the sanctuary, where the bimah is unusually placed in the rear, near the ark, rather than the center as is customary in Orthodox synagogues. The ark itself is separated from the bimah by sliding wooden doors and illuminated by stained glass depicting the Burning bush; two backlit panels show the Ten Commandments. The ceiling is the original pressed metal.

In 2000 the synagogue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.