© Frank H. Jump
9420 Glenwood Road – Established 1908 – Congregation Ahavath Achim Anshei Canarsie – Brotherly Love People of Canarsie (alternate name)¹
¹ Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Writers Project; Survey of State and Local Historical Records (1939); Church Records Jewish – Synagogue –
http://home.att.net/~landsmanshaft/synagogues.htm
More Canarsie history.
I’m particularly intrigued with the last photo. It looks like a residence right under the frontsteps – do you know what it is, did a caretaker live there?
There was a family called Van Vranken in New Amsterdam I think – I wonder if ‘Varken’ is a corruption of that name?
Varken is almost indisputably the Dutch word for pig. There is even a town in South Africa with the name Varkens Hoek. As for the possible residence below the step, that is either the women’s entrance or the entrance to the “mikva” which is the ritual bath.
Dont get your hopes up. This was not a queer shul.
I’m sure there were the natural ten percent that nature intended.
I was BM at AAA along time ago 1945. It was quite a shul in those days with a school. The police precint was located across the street as was the library.
I grew up at AAA. Was BM there in 1969. Lower door led to classrooms, and a second sanctuary and meeting room. Behind all those blue fiberglass windows are beautiful stained glass windows. It was a beautiful place to worship and socialize.
I am the granddaughter of Louis Naham, who built the Shul.
If anyone knows what happened to the building or remembers my grandfather, I would love to hear from you.
I am researching my ancestry and have discovered my great great grandfather was very involved in the Ahavath Achim Anshe Synagogue in St. Louis in the early 1900’s up until the time of his death in 1924. Would your temple have any relationship to the one in St. Louis and if so, is there anywhere I could obtain additional information on the St. Louis synagogue.
Thank you. Mickey Sandmel