Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem, Conservative synagogue in Montgomery, Alabama, US.
Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem is a Conservative synagogue at 3525 Cloverdale Road in Montgomery, Alabama, formed in 2001 by the merger of Agudath Israel and Etz Ahayem. Agudath Israel built its Cloverdale Road home in 1957; its earlier 1928 building at McDonough and High Street was a brick Rundbogenstil structure noted for its hexagonal shape.
The synagogue was established in 2001 through the merger of Agudath Israel, founded in 1902 by Ashkenazi Jews, and Etz Ahayem, founded in 1912 by Sephardi Jews. This union combined two separate congregations with distinct origins into a single institution.
The congregation preserves both Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions through regular Torah study and educational programs that serve the local Jewish community.
The synagogue offers both in-person and online services through digital platforms, making religious participation flexible for all community members. Visitors can attend worship services on site or join remotely depending on their needs.
Cynthia Culpeper became Agudath Israel's rabbi in 1995 and left in 1997 to seek treatment for AIDS, contracted from an accidental needle prick while working as a nurse. In 1996, while serving the congregation, she was the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS.
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