First Congregation Sons of Israel

St. Augustine, Florida 

Thursday, March 24, 2022

First Congregation Sons of Israel is the oldest Synagogue in “The Nation’s Oldest City”, St. Augustine, Florida. Located in the beautiful historic district at 161 Cordova Street, we are a conservative, egalitarian congregation. Sabbath services are conducted each week. All holidays are observed in the appropriate manner, such as our community Seder at Passover. 

First Congregation Website 

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

Artifact 1

The original stained glass windows were installed in 1958 by Rabbi Jacob and Mrs. Dora Tarlinsky’s three daughters. In the summer of 2013, the windows were restored by Ken Hardeman, who is the great-grandson of the original window artist.

Artifact 2

The Torah constitutes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The Torah is an important aspect of Jewish life today because it is considered to be God's word. The Torah is used by all Jews to guide them in their lives, yet some Jews follow it more strictly than others. Some Orthodox Jews, for example, think that it is critical to follow every single law in the Torah. At First Congregation Sons of Israel, the Rabbi reads from the Torah in Hebrew. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://www.alamy.com/orlando-floridamuseum-of-artbenefactorsdonor-recognition-wallfl190511013-image249440474.html

First Congregation Sons of Israel designated their back walls to recognize the unforgettable loved ones who lived and died through this temple. Their names, as well as their death dates, are listed on the memorial plaques to honor their lives. After the terrible destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew, the plaques were refurbished and newly incorporated LED lights which highlight names of the individual's whose death dates are upcoming or recently passed. 

Similar to this memorial, the Orlando Museum of Art has a wall designated to acknowledge its donors. These donors ensure that everyone has access to creative and transformative visual art experiences. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.staugustine.com/story/news/2020/09/14/st-augustines-lightner-museum-receives-upgrade/5791558002/

The stained glass in First Congregation Sons of Israel is a monumental element of the synagogue. I learned a lot about the significance and background of this beautiful art at the Lightner Museum. The window panel on the far left is titles Fruit. Art Nouveau, French for "The New Art," was a decorative style that flourished in Europe and America from the late 1890s through the early 1930s. It was a reaction to the industrial revolution's outdated, repetitive designs and remaining Victorian conventions. Art Nouveau was inspired by nature and Japanese art and is characterized by organic forms, curvilinear depiction of leaves and flowers, curving lines, vibrant iridescence and a general feeling of lightness. The name Art Nouveau came Samuel Bing, who owned an art gallery called  L'Art Nouveau. He was the first to recognize and display the avant-garde artists, including Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Literature In Conversation 

Excerpt from "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier" by Craig Santos Perez

"O vulnerable humans, / Why do you engineer sea walls? / Do you not see how the glacier / Already floods the streets / Of the cities around you?...I know king tides, / And lurid, inescapable storms; / But I know, too, / That the glacier is involved / In what I know."

Perez's poem takes an emotional journey through the effects of climate change, specifically on glaciers. Global warming is melting these crucial landmarks. But glaciers aren't the only things being affected by this phenomenon: storms are becoming more intense.  

The First Congregation Sons of Israel was flooded during Hurricane Matthew. Most of their cherished belongings were destroyed by the water. Because warmer water helps fuel hurricanes, climate change is expanding the zone where hurricanes can form. Therefore, climate change was a factor in the damage done to the synagogue. 

Creative Component

First Congregation Sons of Israel has a Flagler-student-built Jewish star outlining a remarkable chandelier. I drew this piece of architecture from directly below.