The Temple: Congregation Adath Israel Brith Shalom
Daniel Denhart-Lillard
The Temple Congregation Adath Israel Brith Shalom, located at the intersection of Brownsboro Road (US Highway 42) and Lime Kiln Lane in the heart of Louisville’s residential East End is Kentucky’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation. Located on a beautiful, wooded, 10-acre lot, The Temple Campus consists of a main building, auditorium, chapel, library, an administrative wing, archives, a religious school and a preschool. An additional two-story building houses a kitchen, fireplace, and room for meetings and activities.
A founding member of what is now Union for Reform Judaism, by 1873 The Temple was the largest congregation in the movement. The Temple strives to provide “essential values of our Jewish faith, the deeper understanding of our heritage and our future, and the involvement of our people toward the betterment of our community as a whole,” according to their website.
The congregation has long been active in civil rights and in working for fair treatment of all people, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Temple Rabbis are involved with the Fairness Campaign and have performed same-sex marriage rites since 1996, including the first same-sex marriage in the state of Israel. The congregation is welcoming and promotes acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals. This year The Temple was the only Jewish congregation in the Commonwealth that commemorated Pride month with a special Shabbat Service entitled “Creating a Welcoming Community.”
You can find out more about The Temple by visiting their website at https://www.thetemplelouky.org. Or, if you’d like to contact a Rabbi about a confidential matter, please email [email protected].