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Agudas Achim
Agudas Achim
	Agudas Achim, in 2011
Religion
Affiliation	Conservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Josh Warshawsky (Rabbi-in-Residence)
Status	Active
Location
Location	2767 East Broad Street, Bexley, Columbus, Ohio 43209
Country	United States
	Location in Columbus, Ohio
Geographic coordinates	39°58′12″N 82°55′38″W / 39.97000°N 82.92722°W
Architecture
Date established	1881 (as a congregation)
Completed	1895 (South Fifth St.); 1907 (Washington/Donaldson Sts.); 1951 (Broad/Roosevelt Sts.);
Website
	agudasachim.org

Agudas Achim is a Conservative synagogue located in Bexley, Ohio, in the United States. It was established in Columbus in 1881, and by 1897 was no longer the only Orthodox synagogue in the city. Presently, Agudas shares Broad Street with three other synagogues - Ahavat Shalom, Temple Israel, and Tifereth Israel.

Overview

A well-known Agudas cemetery is located not too far from the synagogue, off Alum Creek Drive. Old Agudas Achim cemetery is still preserved.^[1]

In September 2010, Rabbi Mitchell Levine was appointed Scholar in Residence in order to allow the synagogue to place greater emphasis on Jewish education for all ages. In June 2011, he joined Rabbi Melissa F. Crespy as a rabbi of the congregation. In January 2011, Agudas Achim became the first synagogue to appoint a full-time Environmental Scholar in Residence, Ariel Kohane, to its staff.

Affiliation

Originally Agudas came to Columbus as an Orthodox congregation.^[2] According to the synagogue's website and the Columbus Jewish Federation, the congregation is Conservative.^[3] The change in affiliation came after the congregation refused to comply with a responsum from the Orthodox Union calling for all Orthodox synagogues to put up a mechitzah.^[4]

References

^ "Old Agudas Achim Cemetery". May 25, 2016.
^ "Shalom Columbus - History". Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
^ "Congregation Agudas Achim (Conservative)". Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
^ Lagnado, Lucette (March 27, 2007). "Prayer Behind the Partition". Wall Street Journal. Congregation Agudas Achim, in Columbus, Ohio, thought of itself as Orthodox, yet didn't have a mehitzah. When confronted on the issue by the OU it engaged in a passionate debate, according to its rabbi, Jason Miller, and ultimately refused to put in a divider. It even switched to the Conservative movement. These days, says Rabbi Miller, the thriving Agudas Achim is '100% egalitarian.'