CONGREGATION AHABETH ACHIM SHERITH ISRAEL.
Toward the end of the year 1847 a number of Jewish men of Cincinnati expressed themselves as believing that there should be a congregation in the upper (west end) part of the city, and in spite of the numerous difficulties these men set to work earnestly to carry into effect such a plan, with the result that in a short time the idea became an established fact. Several preliminary meetings were held, and on February 18, 1848, it was finally agreed to incorporate the congregation under the name Ahabeth Achim, "Society of Brotherly Love." At that meeting were present L. Goldsmith, Samuel Weil, Chas. Kahn, Henry Kahn, M. W. Fechheimer, H. Winter, I. Bloch and M. Westenberger. The first step was to provide a place in which to hold services, and after a short interval a hall on the second floor of a building on the northwest corner of Pleasant and Fifteenth streets was secured and furnished. S. Eppinger presented the new congregation with a Scroll of the Law, and on the following Friday evening the first services were held. Leopold Goldschmidt was the first cantor, giving his services free for the first year.
Even before there was any thought given to the question of a new building the matter of a cemetery was brought up, and on May 15, 1848, Chas. Kahn, Simon Kahn, Samuel Kahn, Henry Winter and Moses Westberger, on behalf of the congregation, secured three acres of land, to be used as a burial place, on Ludlow avenue, in Clifton. Later more land was acquired, and finally the cemetery was improved, until it is now one of the finest in the country.
The membership of the new congregation increased so rapidly that in the following year (1849) it was found absolutely necessary to have better quarters, and accordingly a piece of property, 40 feet front on Race street, between Fifteenth and Liberty, was purchased for a building site upon which, owing to the strained finances of the members there was erected a frame building, which was shortly afterward dedicated as a place of worship.
From 1849 to 1864 there is little to record in the history of the congregation, as the records themselves chronicle nothing of importance. However, the historian of the congregation, Joel H. Steinberg, vouches for the statement that during that period the congregation was strictly orthodox and the daily lives of the members in strict conformity to orthodox rules of living. The watchword of that time was "Young man, go west," and many followed the instruction. This would have seriously impaired the membership had it not been that still more moved into the city. Indeed the membership increased to such an extent that in 1864 a lot was leased on the corner of John and Melanchton streets (now Bauer avenue), and two years later the temple was erected which up to the time of the consolidation was known as the John street temple. The new building cost $47,000, which, together with the ground lease, proved a very heavy burden to the congregation, and it required many years of active work to cancel these heavy obligations. But it was done in time, and in 1898, the time of the 5Oth anniversary celebration, the congregation had all its obligations paid and was free from debt.
At first the women were seated in the gallery of the temple and other strictly orthodox customs were followed, but the spirit of progress as expounded by Dr. Wise entered into the services, and by degrees many of the more important reforms were introduced. In June, 1872, the organ was heard for the first time in the temple, and the choir was composed of fifty children, under the direction of Wm. Eckert. This children's choir was at once followed by the Sabbath school. From that time forward congregation Ahabeth Achim continued in a course midway between Reform and Orthodox, until it was merged with Sherith Israel into the new congregation.
Among the rabbis who officiated at various times were such well known names as Goldammer, Illiowitzi, Eppstein, Rosenstein, Mandel, Zirndorf and Deutsch.
The members of Ahabeth Achim began moving away from the West End years ago, and as was the case with Sherith Israel it became apparent that neither organization would exist by itself. This led to the consolidation.