A downtown setting is never wasted on me. There is an indescribable mixture of sophistication, tradition, and classic appeal that can only be found on brick streets and in the shadow of generations-old buildings. That said, sometimes it is necessary to part with what we love and find fascinating for the greater good of others. This is true for the congregation of Ahavath Beth Israel Synagogue in Boise, Idaho. Built in 1895, Ahavath is the oldest continually operational synagogue west of the Mississippi River, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As Boise's Jewish population continued to grow, Ahavath's congregation grew also. With no adjacent land to expand, children's and other ministries began to be cramped. So despite an affectionate attachment to the downtown location, Ahavath's leadership realized meeting the needs of the future meant moving, but the synagogue would not be left behind. It was going to go with the Ahavath family to a new location four miles away.
Not surprisingly, according to the project's architect Bruce Poe, principal architect with Modus Architecture Collaborative in Boise, this was no easy feat. "We had to explain our reasoning [for the move] to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We cited that the growing downtown area was a danger to the building, and that moving would serve the long-term good of the structure," says Poe. In recent years, a fast-food chain had set up shop next door to the synagogue and cars were parking up against the building. "Respecting the historic nature of the synagogue by strategically placing it at the focal point of the new campus was also a key ingredient to successful negotiations with the National Trust," Poe adds.
The move was approved and plans to relocate the historic building commenced. To satisfy the Trust's requirements, the two-story wooden structure was separated from a five-foot-thick sandstone base. Then, each piece of the base was numbered, in order to be put back together like a puzzle at the new site. The wooden structure was secured with cables.
Additionally, two rose windows had to be protected. "These lead-and-stained-glass windows were not stable," says Poe. "So, we covered them with plastic and built a wooden frame around each, which we then filled with expandable foam." This combination stabilized the windows for the move, which began at midnight, as mandated by the City of Boise, and was attended by Ahavath's congregation, local press, and Jewish dignitaries. "It was very emotional," recalls Poe. "The Rabbi read from the Torah, and then we heard the creak, and the building began to move forward."
The crowd walked alongside the synagogue as it made its way uptown to a new location and new beginning, one that would benefit generations to come.
Now in place, the historic synagogue is surrounded with a new colonnade and 16,800 square feet of education and fellowship space on the north, west and south sides, but faces an open eastern exposure, a historically and religiously correct orientation for the building. A plaza area is also adjacent and houses a library, a home for the synagogue's historical ties.
The decision to take on such an endeavor was truly selfless and was carried out to insure glory for God and opportunities for kingdom increase. "This move solidified the Boise Jewish community's commitment to future growth," concludes Poe.
