Talk:Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim/Temp

Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim means Blessing and Peace and Loving Deeds. But is more commonly know as the St. Thomas Synagogue.

The synagogue was originally founded in 1796. The synagogue was destroyed twice in 1804 by fire and in 1864 by another fire. It holds two important distictions the first is that they are the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag. The second distictions is that it held the first conformation ceremony for Jewish teenagers in the Western Hemisphere in 1843.

There are also some unique features in the synagogue. Most of the wooden features including the benches, the ark and the bimah are all made from mahogany. The menorah dates back to the 11th century and is Spanish in origin. The chandeliers are european and are presumed Dutch. There are four pillars inside representing Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca and Leah the four matriarchs of the Jewish people. But by far the most unusual feature of the synagogue is the sand floor. There are two theories behind this unusual occurance. One is to represent the Israelite journey through the desert. Another theory is that it represents the Conversos who were forced to convert to Catholicism. Many continued to observe Judaism. So they usually met in their cellars and would use sand to keep their prayers quiet. The last reason is because the synagogue was founded by Sephardic Jews.

They are affiliated with the Reform Jewish movement. They also have a rabbi from Hebrew Union College.