Congregation Gates of Prayer records, 1850-2009 | Louisiana Research Collection

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Collection Overview

Title: Congregation Gates of Prayer records, 1850-2009

ID: LaRC/Manuscripts Collection 676

Primary Creator: Congregation Gates of Prayer (Metairie, La.)

Extent: 8.0 Boxes

Arrangement: The collection is arranged by topic as follows: congregation by-laws, constitutions, financial, and property records; history, programs, minutes, and other records; correspondence, programs, photographs, and clippings; nursery school and bulletins; printed material, including loose items from scrapbooks 1980-1995; choral material; printed material 1996-1997; printed material 2000s; minute books; and scrapbooks. The collection is made up of eight boxes and fifty volumes.

Date Acquired: 00/00/1983

Subjects: Congregation Gates of Prayer (Metairie, La.), Land titles -- Louisiana.

Forms of Material: Bulletins., Charters., Clippings (information artifacts), Correspondence., Financial records., Minute books., Mortgages., Pamphlets., Programs (documents)., Tax records.

Languages: English, German

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Congregation Gates of Prayer was organized in the "Old Lafayette" area of New Orleans in 1849 and incorporated in 1850. The Congregation later moved to Jefferson Parish and established a new synagogue in Metairie. It followed the Orthodox tradition and services were conducted by a cantor for many years. At the turn of the century, the influence of the Reform movement was felt, and in 1906 the first rabbi was engaged.

The collection consists of the Congregation Gates of Prayer's by-laws, constitutions, financial and property records, correspondence, pamphlets, charter amendments, congregation history, minute books, programs, telegrams, bulletins, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks. The scrapbooks were created by Daniel B. Alexander of New Orleans, Louisiana, during his service as Secretary of the Congregation. They include information about the history of the congregation and include newspaper clippings, congregation bulletins, programs, photographs, and other items. They also contain materials concerning Alexander's personal interests, American-Israeli relations and Jewish history in particular.

Biographical Note

Congregation Gates of Prayer was organized in the "Old Lafayette" area of New Orleans on 1849 May 1 and incorporated in 1850 March. Charter members included Abraham de Young, Henry Ascher, Benjamin Goldberg, Frank Bacharach, N. Greensberger, Emmannuel Lazar, and L. Leopold. A chevra or benevolent society had been in existence in the Lafayette area from the 1830s. About forty families came together as early as 1848, adopting the German ritual, and set about founding a synagogue. Early gathering places were those used by the chevra, at Washington and Constance streets and later at Fifth and Chippewa streets.

By 1852 worship was held at Seventh and Tchoupitoulas streets. After this period, a small school located at Fulton and St. Mary streets served as a meeting place until 1856. A synagogue was built in 1860, called the Lafayette Schule, on Jackson Avenue near Chippewa Street. The Congregation moved to 1139 Napoleon Avenue in 1920. This building was restored and reopened in 1953. In the early 1970s a survey was made of the membership, which revealed that the majority resided in Jefferson Parish. The decision was made to move the Congregation to Jefferson Parish and establish a new synagogue at 4000 West Esplanade in Metairie.

For many years the Congregation followed the Orthodox tradition and services were conducted by a cantor. At the turn of the century, the influence of the Reform movement was felt, and in 1906 the first rabbi was engaged. He was Rabbi Moise Bergman, a native of New Orleans and a graduate of Hebrew Union College. He was followed by Dr. Mendel Silber, Rabbi Nathaniel S. Share, Rabbi Kenneth I. Siegel, and Rabbi Robert H. Loewy.

Subject/Index Terms

Congregation Gates of Prayer (Metairie, La.)
Land titles -- Louisiana.

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Acquisition Source: Congregation The Gates of Prayer

Related Materials: LaRC vertical (ephemera) files contain an 1878 copy of the Charter, Constitution and By-laws in German and English.

Preferred Citation: Congregation Gates of Prayer records, Manuscripts Collection 676, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Processing Information: Collection processed in 1983.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid information entered in Archon by LAC Group in 2011.

Other Note: OCLC Number: 785898937

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Congregation by-laws, constitutions, financial and property records],
[Box 2: History, programs, minutes and other records],
[Box 3: Correspondence, clippings, programs and photographs],
[Box 4: Nursery school and bulletins],
[Box 5: Printed material, 1980-1995],
[Box 6: Choral material],
[Box 7: Printed material, commemorative plate, 1996-1997, undated],
[Box 8: Printed material, 2000s],
[Volume 1: Minutes, 1850-1863],
[Volume 2: Minutes, 1864-1872],
[Volume 3: Minutes, 1873-1884],
[Volume 4: Minutes, 1904 October 2-1909 December 26],
[Volume 5: Minutes, 1910 January 9-1916 March 11],
[Volume 6: Minutes, 1916 April 8-1925 January 25],
[Volume 7: Minutes, 1925 January-1931 December],
[Volume 8: Minutes, 1932 January-1935 December],
[Volume 9: Minutes, 1936 January-1942 December],
[Volume 10: Minutes, 1943 January-1949 December],
[Volume 11: Minutes, 1950 Januray-1954 December],
[Volume 12: Minutes, 1955 January-1958 December],
[Volume 13: Minutes, 1959 January-1961 December],
[Volume 14: Minutes, 1962 January-1963 December],
[Volume 15: Minutes, 1964 January-1966 May],
[Volume 16: Minutes, 1966 June-1968 May],
[Volume 17: Minutes, 1968 June-1970 May],
[Volume 18: Minutes, 1970 May-1972 May],
[Volume 19: Pew Sales/Gates of Prayer, 1875 January 3-1880 October 1],
[Volume 20: Death record of Congregation Gates of Prayer, 1853-1979],
[Volume 21: Minutes book, 1972 August-1975 May],
[Volume 22: Minutes book, 1975 August-1977 May],
[Volume 23: Minutes book, 1977 June-1979 June],
[Volume 24: Minutes book, 1979 June-1980 June],
[Volume 25: Minutes book, 1980 June-December],
[Volume 26: Minutes book, 1980 December-1981 June],
[Volume 27: Minutes book, 1981-1982],
[Volume 28: Minutes book, 1982 August-1983 May],
[[information restricted]],
[Volume 30: Minutes book, 1984-1985],
[Volume 31: Minutes book, 1985-1986],
[Volume 32: Minutes book, 1986 June-1987 May],
[Volume 33: Minutes book, 1987 June-1989 May],
[Volume 34: Officer's record book, 1980-1981],
[Volume 35: Minutes book, 1989 June-1990 October],
[Volume 36: Minutes book, 1990 November-1991 April],
[Volume 37: Minutes book, 1991 May-1993 March],
[[information restricted]],
[Volume 39: Minutes book, 1987-1991],
[Volume 40: Scrapbook, 1974-1975],
[Volume 41: Scrapbook, 1975],
[Volume 42: Scrapbook, 1975-1977],
[Volume 43: Scrapbook, 1977-1978],
[Volume 44: Scrapbook, 1978-1979],
[Volume 45: Scrapbook, 1979-1980],
[Volume 46: Scrapbook, 1980-1981],
[Volume 47: Scrapbook, 1981-1984],
[Volume 48: Scrapbook, 1984-1985],
[All]

Volume 15: Minutes, 1964 January-1966 May