Sherith Israel of Nashville: Where Faith, Music and Community Meet

Congregation Sherith Israel is a welcoming Jewish community in Nashville that brings together people of different backgrounds, levels of observance, and Jewish knowledge.

Its services are warm and participatory, featuring meaningful Torah teachings and beautiful harmony. Music is an important part of the congregation’s spiritual and cultural life, connecting people through prayer, performances, and community events. Sherith Israel also offers classes, social activities, and community service opportunities for all ages.

I would like to thank the esteemed Rabbi Saul Strosberg for his support and guidance.

Synagogue

Sherith Israel of Nashville, Tennessee, has a main sanctuary that is used for Sabbath and holiday services and is often used during the week as well. The sanctuary features stained-glass windows specially commissioned for the building, with each window depicting a scene from the Torah. Large, back-lit sculptures representing the Two Tablets of the Covenant flank the ark at the front of the sanctuary. The seating is arranged with two sections for women on either side of a recessed central section for men. There is also a women’s balcony at the rear that overlooks the sanctuary.

The small sanctuary also serves as a classroom and contains numerous tables for this purpose. Part of the synagogue’s library is located in this room, with the walls covered by bookshelves. It also contains an ark and a large reading table used for reading the Torah.

Sherith Israel has 12 Torah scrolls, including two unusual scrolls. In addition to the Torah scrolls, the synagogue has a collection of the Five Megillot, or Hamesh Megillot, which are the five scrolls of the Hebrew Bible: Song of Songs (Shir ha-Shirim), Ruth, Lamentations (Eicha), Ecclesiastes (Kohelet), and Esther (Megillat Esther). These scrolls are associated with readings throughout the Jewish liturgical year. Sherith Israel has four of the Five Megillot, while the scroll of Esther, which is traditionally read during Purim, has its own scroll.

Religious Events

Shabbat at Sherith Israel of Nashville, Tennessee, is celebrated through a variety of religious services, classes, meals, and family activities. Shabbat begins on Friday evening with a beautiful Carlebach-style Kabbalat Shabbat service. In addition, the congregation hosts a heimisch Friday night dinner each week for locals and visitors alike, called Abraham and Sarah’s Tent. On Shabbat morning, services begin at 9:00 AM and continue until approximately 11:30 AM. The services emphasize kavanah (spiritual intention), singing, and inspiring divrei Torah from the clergy and community members. Following the morning service, all join for a Kiddush luncheon, which can also be sponsored to celebrate special occasions, honor a friend, or commemorate the anniversary of a loved one’s passing, known as a yahrzeit.

Sherith Israel also offers educational opportunities throughout Shabbat. Typically, two classes are held each week: an early class at 8:00 AM and another at 1:00 PM following the Kiddush luncheon. The synagogue places a strong emphasis on welcoming children and families, and seniors.

On Friday evenings, an elementary school student may give the dvar Torah, and children frequently participate in leading portions of the Kabbalat Shabbat service. On Shabbat morning, families may keep their children with them during the main service, while the synagogue also provides babysitting and children’s groups. Family Tefillah is held downstairs giving parents and children an opportunity to pray together, discuss the weekly Torah portion, play games, and share a small Kiddush. Families also gather at a local park during the late Shabbat afternoon for community time.

Shabbat concludes with the traditional sequence of Mincha, Seudat Shlishit, Maariv, and Havdalah. Through its combination of prayer, Torah learning, communal meals, and family activities, Sherith Israel creates a welcoming Shabbat experience that brings together members of the congregation across generations.

Education

Nashville, Tennessee, provides educational opportunities for children, teenagers, and adults. The school system includes the Lower School, Akiva, which serves students in grades K to 6, and the Upper School, Kehillah, which serves students in grades 7 to 12. The school is described as having a diverse religious makeup, consisting approximately of one-quarter Reform, one-quarter Conservative, one-quarter Orthodox, and one-quarter unaffiliated members. This diversity is reflected in the school’s approach, which provide opportunities for students from a variety of Jewish backgrounds to participate in learning and community life.

Throughout the week, Sherith Israel offers a wide range of classes for adults of different backgrounds. Rabbi Saul, Cantor Lieberman, Moreh Moshe, Moreh Rephael and Rabbi Raffi teach classes covering subjects such as the weekly Torah portion and Haftarah, the Talmud, and the meaning of Shabbat and holiday prayers. The clergy also work individually with members who want to learn how to lead a particular part of the prayer service or learn to read from the Torah or Haftarah.

The synagogue’s NCSY chapter has also become a force, boasting a large number of teens at weekly events and making big impact both in the lives or teens and their families. NCSY’ers travel throughout the year to Shabbatonim in neighboring communities and the community sends teen to Israel every summer. Teens are involved in every facit of the synagogue, from helping with set up and take down for events and programs, and there is even a teen representative with voting rights who serves on the board of directors.

Women’s Programs

Sherith Israel offers several programs for women, including Sisterhood, Rosh Chodesh gatherings, Challah Bakes, and Women’s Tefilah. These activities provide opportunities for women to connect, celebrate Jewish traditions, and build a supportive and welcoming community.

Music

Sherith Israel is a musical synagogue that brings music into many aspects of its community and spiritual life. The clergy leads programs such as songwriting workshops, where experienced and aspiring songwriters can develop their skills, and Open Mic Nights, which bring Jewish musicians and performers from Nashville together.

The synagogue also helped create the Nashville JAM Fest (Jewish Art and Music), showcasing Jewish music and connecting the local Jewish community with musicians from across the country. Sherith Israel also supports youth music through programs such as Orchestra Tikvah, a youth orchestra summer camp that brings advanced string players from across the country together for a week of music. Through these programs, music becomes an important way for Sherith Israel to connect people, celebrate Jewish culture, and strengthen community.

 Culture

Sherith Israel places a strong emphasis on social action and is proud of its local chapter chapter of Chaverim, a volunteer group that assists people in need. It continues to grow, month by month, with more volunteers and more calls, and the group meets regularly for training.

Historical Backgrounds

Jewish settlement in Tennessee began in waves more than 200 years ago, with early Jewish settlers arriving in the late 18th century. Nashville’s Jewish community began developing in the 1840s, with immigrants arriving primarily from Germany and Poland. By 1851, a formal Jewish community had been established in Nashville. Congregation Sherith Israel has its roots in the city’s Hungarian Jewish community. In 1887, Hungarian Jewish immigrants who had been holding religious services for many years established the Hungarian Benevolent Society of Nashville.

In 1904, members of the society separated to form Congregation Sherith Israel. The congregation developed into a close-knit and vibrant Hungarian Jewish community that became involved in many aspects of Nashville life, including music, civic activities, and politics. Over time, Sherith Israel maintained its strong Jewish traditions while becoming an active part of the broader Nashville community.

Which brings us to 1905.

In 1905, the United States had 45 states, and Theodore Roosevelt was serving as the 26th president. The automobile was still a novelty, while horse-drawn carriages remained common on city streets. Moving pictures and phonographs were also becoming increasingly popular forms of entertainment.

Nashville in 1905 was a growing city of more than 100,000 residents, with expanding electric streetcar lines, new industrial development along the riverfront, and a busy downtown centered around the Public Square.

It was in that year, 1905, that Congregation Sherith Israel was established in Nashville, beginning a history that would become an important part of the city’s Jewish and cultural community. When its charter was issued on July 26, 1905, Sherith Israel was the city’s only Orthodox congregation. Mr. H. Saltzman served as the congregation’s first rabbi and remained in that position without pay until his death in 1928.

In 1920, the original building was replaced by the Fifth Avenue Shul, where the Torah was read from the center of the sanctuary. In 1938, Rabbi Abraham Chill became Sherith Israel’s first paid rabbi. In 1949, the congregation moved to its present location on West End Avenue and built a new sanctuary. The sanctuary features twelve 15-foot stained-glass windows designed by Israeli architect Arie Lynn, depicting Jewish holidays, Shabbat, Israel, Jerusalem, the Holocaust, and other Jewish themes. Rabbi Zalman Posner served as rabbi for 53 years and founded Akiva School in 1954. The synagogue continued to expand, adding classrooms, offices, a chapel, and the Liff Auditorium.

Today, Sherith Israel continues its long tradition of welcoming Jews from many different backgrounds. Its congregation includes Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and unaffiliated members, as well as people from Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi backgrounds. Music has also become an important part of the congregation’s spiritual and cultural life, connecting people through prayer, Jewish music, concerts, and community events. With approximately 15,000 Jews now living in Nashville, Sherith Israel remains an important part of the city’s Jewish community, offering a place where people can find faith, tradition, music, friendship, and a sense of belonging.

Contact Information:

Sherith Israel of Nashville, 3600 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37205

Phone: (615) 292-6614

Email: rabbisaul@sherithisrael.com

Website: https://www.sherithisrael.com/