Alternate Name: Anshe Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher; Congregation Czentochauer Chasam Sopher V'Anshei Unterstanestier; Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher; Chasam Sopher Congregation; Czenstochauer, Bible Students and People of Unterstanestier; Bible Students
Address: 8-10 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002
Borough: Manhattan
Type: Orthodox
Year Organized: 1883
Year Established: 1887
Associated Towns: Czestochowa (Poland); Nyzhni Stanivitzi (Ukraine), historically also known as Untershtaneshti
Aux Societies: Sick benefit, Free loan, Bikur cholim, Study
Notes: According to the 1900/1901 American Jewish Year Book, Congregation Anshe Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher was founded on December 1, 1899, and was located at 8-10 Clinton Street. It had a religious school that met twice daily, and it was associated with Washington Cemetery. According to the 1907/1908 American Jewish Year Book, Anshe Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher was still located at 8-10 Clinton Street, had been organized on December 1, 1899, and had 181 members, and a school. According to the Jewish Communal Register (1917/1918), Congregation Czentochauer Chasam Sopher V’Anshei Unterstanestier was an orthodox congregation that was located at 8 Clinton Street, had been organized in 1888, had a membership of 500, a seating capacity of 1500, sick benefit, free loan, and study societies, and was associated with a cemetery. The 1939 WPA Survey states that the Chasam Sopher Congregation, also known as the Bible Students, was still located at 8-10 Clinton Street and had been organized in 1883 by Hungarian Jews who were the followers or chassidim of the Gaon, the Rosh Yeshiva of Presburg, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia). After moving from various places of worship in the Lower East Side, in 1887 the congregation bought the synagogue of Congregation Rodeph Sholom at 8-10 Clinton Street. In 1889, a split occurred and 150 members broke away and formed an independent Chasam Sopher Lodge of the IOBA (Independent Order of B’nai Abraham). The remaining members merged with the Czenstochauer Chevra and, remaining at 8-10 Clinton Street, became known as the Congregation Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher. Additionally, according to the 1939 WPA Survey, Anshei Unterstanestier K.U.V., known in English as People of Unterstanestier, Benevolent Society, was established in 1896 with 22 members who were natives of the city of Unterstanestier, Bukovina, Romania (now known as Nyzhni Stanivitzi and located in the Ukraine). The congregation held services in various factory shops and back rooms of saloons on the East Side of New York City and rented quarters on Attorney Street until 1909, when services started being held at a synagogue at 8-10 Clinton Street. In 1913, the congregation merged with Congregation Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher to form Congregation Chasam Sopher W. Anshei Unterstanestier. Additionally, according to the 1939 WPA Survey, Congregation Czenstochauer Chasam Sopher W’Anshei Unterstanestier, known in English as Czenstochauer, Bible Students and People of Unterstanestier, was established in 1883, was located at 8-10 Clinton Street in 1939, and originally took its name Chasam Sopher from the work of a Rosh Yeshiva in Presburg, but then added Czenstochauer as the result of an 1889 merger with a Polish-Hungarian congregation known as Czenstochaver Chevra that had been organized in 1884. In 1913, the congregation further merged with the Anshe Unterstanestier K.U.V., a benevolent society of Romanian Jews from Unterstanestier in Bukovina (now Nyzhni Stanivitzi, Ukraine). It is associated with Washington, Mt. Zion, Mt. Judah, and Beth David Cemeteries.
1900-1901 American Jewish Year Book: Listed
1907-1908 American Jewish Year Book: Listed
Jewish Communal Register (1917-1918): Listed