07/09/2026
The Oldest Synagogue in New Hampshire
Temple Adath Yeshurun (TAY) is the oldest synagogue in New Hampshire and has served Manchester and the surrounding communities for nearly 140 years. As a Reform Jewish congregation, TAY is dedicated to fostering a warm, inclusive community where individuals and families can worship, learn, celebrate, and support one another. Guided by Jewish values, the congregation embraces diversity, lifelong learning, meaningful spiritual practice, and Tikkun Olam, the commitment to repairing the world through acts of kindness, social responsibility, and community engagement..
Czech Torah MST #1257
The Torah scroll displayed in the lobby of Temple Adath Yeshurun is a powerful symbol of survival and remembrance. Known as MST #1257, it is part of the Memorial Scrolls Trust of London, which preserves Torah scrolls rescued from Jewish communities in Bohemia and Moravia now of the Czech Republic that were destroyed during the Holocaust.
Dating to the late 1800s, the scroll originally belonged to the synagogue in Mladá Boleslav, where it served a thriving Jewish community until the N**i occupation. A small group of dedicated Czech Jews worked to preserve the region’s Jewish heritage by rescuing Torah scrolls and other sacred objects from synagogues that had been closed or destroyed. These artifacts were brought to the Jewish Museum in Prague, where they were cataloged and safeguarded.
Torah Scroll MST #1257 was among the thousands preserved.
In 1942, more than 1,000 Jews from Mladá Boleslav and the surrounding area were deported to the Terezín Ghetto and later to N**i extermination camps. The curator of the Jewish Museum in Prague was also deported to Terezín and then Auschwitz. By the end of the Holocaust, more than 80,000 Jews from the Czech lands had been murdered, leaving only a small remnant of the once-thriving Jewish community.
After the war, the scroll was transferred to London through the Memorial Scrolls Trust. In 1974, Rabbi Emeritus Arthur Starr arranged for Torah MST #1257 to become part of Temple Adath Yeshurun. That same year, a devastating fire destroyed much of the synagogue’s sanctuary. Because the Torah was displayed in the lobby, it survived.
Today, Torah MST #1257 stands as both a sacred Torah scroll and a lasting memorial to the Jewish communities lost in the Holocaust.
Recently Temple Adath Yeshurun and neighboring Temple Israel combined their Religious Schools to form the Jewish Learning Collective of New Hampshire, a dynamic, engaging and diverse learning environment bringing together Reform and Conservative Jewish Families across Manchester to provide a best-in-class Jewish Education for their children.
Temple Adath Yeshurun adorns itself to the notion that Jewish learning is a lifelong journey and that education is not only for the young. TAY believes that everyone has the opportunity and responsibility to continue growing as knowledgeable and engaged Jews.
Historical Backgrounds
In 1693, the future United States was a wild patchwork of small British colonies, Spanish outposts, and Native American lands. There were no 50 states yet. Life was mostly rural, focused on farming, and ruled by the wilderness.
New Hampshire in 1693 was a rugged, isolated English frontier. Its dense forests and rocky soil made farming hard. Settlers lived near the ocean in towns like Portsmouth and Dover, depending on fishing, timber, and fur trading to survive. The area was also a dangerous war zone plagued by conflicts with Native Americans.
It was in that year, 1693, that the first recorded Jewish settlers arrived in New Hampshire; they were William Abrams and Aaron Moses. They arrived in the seacoast town of New Castle and later moved to Sanbornton. Later, in 1789, Abraham and Rachel Isaac moved to Portsmouth. They opened a popular waterfront store called “The Cheap Shop”.
Between 1693 and 1880, the Jewish population in New Hampshire was very small. Earliest records show a handful of traders and merchants arriving in towns like Sanbornton, New Castle, and Portsmouth. The population began to grow rapidly right after 1880 due to a massive wave of Eastern European immigration.
Jews first arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the 1880s. A small group gathered for religious holidays in 1862, but J. Wolf is the first recorded permanent Jewish resident, arriving around 1880.
By 1892, the Jewish community of Manchester, New Hampshire, was small but growing, with approximately 21 Jewish working men forming a close-knit community. Many were immigrants from Eastern Europe who worked as peddlers, small merchants, and tradespeople while building new lives in New Hampshire. That year, the community hired its first rabbi, Rabbi Peter Axel, to provide religious leadership and guidance.
The first synagogue was located at 895 Elm Street before later moving to Central Avenue. Records from the time list nine heads of Jewish families among the community’s members. The dedication and perseverance of these early families laid the foundation for organized Jewish life in Manchester.
Shortly afterward, Manchester’s Jewish community celebrated its first recorded Jewish wedding on March 19, 1893. On that Sunday evening, Rebecca Pines and Samuel Rosenblum were married at Knights of Pythias Hall on Hanover Street, in what was likely the first Jewish wedding held in the city. The event received significant attention in The Manchester Union, which described the ceremony under the headlines “According to Mosaic Law,” “Interesting Ceremony in the Local Jewish Colony,” and “Wedding Feast and Merry-Making Follow the Nuptials.”
The celebration reflected the growing presence of Jewish life in Manchester. The Jewish community gathered in large numbers, and the ceremony followed traditional customs, including the raising of a wedding canopy and blessings led by Acting Rabbi Peter Axel. The wedding became an important milestone in the history of Manchester’s Jewish community.
Between 1893 and 1899, Manchester’s Jewish community grew into a bustling, working-class hub of Eastern European immigrants. Centered in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways districts, many of the residents worked in the garment and tailoring trades.
In 1899, the United States was a rapidly growing industrial nation. The country had 45 states and was led by President William McKinley. The nation was expanding its global reach. It had recently won the Spanish-American War and gained new territories like Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
In 1899, New Hampshire was transitioning from an agricultural society to an industrial giant. Massive mill towns powered by rivers dominated the economy, while rural family farms and logging operations saw a decline.
By1899, Manchester, New Hampshire, was a roaring industrial giant dominated by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. Known as the “Queen City,” it boasted the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Thousands of immigrant workers powered massive brick mills, and the Merrimack River drove the city’s booming economy. The city was a bustling and crowded place with about 57,000 residents.
In 1899, Manchester, New Hampshire was home to a small, close-knit Jewish community of Eastern European immigrants. Most worked as peddlers, tailors, or small merchants. They gathered in rented halls for worship and organized groups to help the sick and bury the dead.
It was in that year, 1899, that New Hampshire passed legislation allowing religious organizations to incorporate. Adath Yeshurun was officially incorporated at 197 Central Street on January 4, 1900, following its first recorded meeting. The congregation had already been active throughout the 1890s, including the purchase of cemetery land on South Beech Street in 1896.
Adath Yeshurun’s early years were marked by frequent moves among rented spaces in central Manchester. Incorporated in 1900 with 17 members, the congregation purchased a building at 94 Laurel Street in 1902.
As membership grew, High Holy Day services were held in rented halls until the need for a permanent synagogue led to a fundraising campaign in 1910. Construction began in 1911, and the new Central Street synagogue opened on September 23, 1911.
The synagogue included a sanctuary, religious school, kitchen, social hall, and space for community activities. Its 1912 dedication celebrated the growth and achievements of Manchester’s Jewish community, with support from members and local leaders.
Adath Yeshurun’s Central Street synagogue served the congregation for nearly fifty years as a center for worship, education, and community life. Bar mitzvahs, social events, and women’s organizations such as the Sisterhood strengthened congregational ties. Despite financial struggles during the 1920s and 1930s, members like Edward Chase and Abraham Machinist provided important leadership and support. Abe Machinist later helped unite the divided Jewish cemetery, strengthening cooperation between Manchester’s Jewish congregations.
Today, Temple Adath Yeshurun remains a lasting symbol of Manchester’s Jewish heritage, reflecting more than a century of faith, community, and dedication. Now housed in its magnificent mid-century building designed by the preeminent synagogue architect, Percival Goodman, at 152 Prospect Street, TAY is excited to begin a new chapter welcoming Cantor Harriet Dunkerley as their new Spiritual Leader.
With deep historical roots and eyes pointed toward the future, Temple Adath Yeshurun continues to welcome and serve the Manchester Jewish Community in all its colorful tapestry of combinations. From its beginnings among Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s to its continued presence today, the congregation has preserved traditions while adapting to the changing needs of its members and the city they call home.
Courtesy to: Jay Abramson and Times of Israel (Edited)
