USA: Let's Document the Mid-Century Modern Synagogues of Isador Richmond & Carney Goldberg

Randolph, MA. Former Temple Beth Am. Richmond & Goldberg, archs., ca. 1961. Photo: Google Streetscape.

Randolph, MA. Former Temple Beth Am. Richmond & Goldberg, archs., ca. 1961. Photo: Tod Bryant

Randolph, MA. Former Temple Beth Am. Richmond & Goldberg, archs., ca. 1961. Photo: Beth Am webpage.

USA: Let's Document the Mid-Century Modern Synagogues of Isador Richmond & Carney Goldberg
by Samuel D. Gruber

I was recently contacted by architectural historian Tod Bryant about the former Temple Beth Am, a 1961 synagogue in Randolph, MA, where Tod is inventorying historic resources.  The congregation will soon merge with Temple Beth Abraham in Canton, MA. and the Randolph facility was sold earlier this year to the New Jerusalem Evangelical Baptist Church.

Tod and I pooled our efforts and a little sleuthing determined that this mid-century modern synagogue was designed by architect Carney Goldberg (1907-1981), who with his partner Isador Richmond, designed many mid-century synagogues in Massachusetts.  Goldberg appears to have been the lead synagogue designer, but this needs to be confirmed. Probably the best known of these is Temple Emeth in South Brookline, which was included in the 1996 chapter by David Kaufman, "Temples in the American Athens: A History of the Synagogues of Boston," in The Jews of Boston. But Tifereth Israel Congregation in New Bedford, MA, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, is also a distinctive building. 

New Bedford, MA. Tifereth Israel Cong., Fund raising postcard ca. 1965. Photo: U. Mass Dartmouth Archives.

It appears several of the Richmond & Goldberg designed synagogues have already closed; either sold for reuse or demolished. Steve Kellerman photographed a few of these buildings in the 1980s, but as far as I can tell there is little other documentation of the buildings, or of the lives and work of both these active, successful award-winning Jewish architects. With the limited information easily available it is hard to get a sense of these architect's style, but certain features indicate an affinity with some of the 1950s and early 1960s designs of Percival Goodman and Fritz Nathan. I hope that this notice will inspire some my readers in the Boston area to dig a little deeper, and get out to document all of the buildings by Richmond and Goldberg that still stand, and especially those few synagogues still in use.

Randolph, MA. Former Temple Beth Am. From Google Earth.

Carney Goldberg (son of Benjamin and Jenny) was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1907. He was probably the son of immigrant Jewish parents - since there were so many Jewish immigrants in Chelsea, then one of the most densely populated Jewish towns in America after New York City.  Goldberg attended MIT and graduated with a B.S. in Architecture in 1928 and with an Masters in Architecture in 1929. In 1946 he formed a partnership with  the older and better known Isador Richmond; Isador Richmond and Carney Goldberg, Architects and Engineers. 

Richmond was also born in Chelsea (in 1893), again almost certainly to immigrant Jewish parents (Hyman Richmond and Lena Tanzer). Richmond had also attended MIT in a 2-year special course in architecture from 1913-1915, prior to serving in World War I. He subsequently won the prestigious Roche Traveling Scholarship in 1923 and spent time at the American Academy in Rome. Goldberg was subsequently awarded the Roche scholarship in 1931. Richmond was probably on the review committee. 

According to AIA membership information filed by Goldberg and a few other sources, the team designed at least nine synagogues and one Jewish Community Center between 1948 and 1966. There may be others later. Here is my list so far:

Temple Emanuel, Newton, MA (date?)
Temple Emeth, Brookline (1948)
Temple Beth El, Portland, Maine (1950
Temple Tifereth Israel, Malden, MA (1955) - merged with TSS (?) - bldg up for sale 2016
JCC, Brighton, MA (1956)
 Temple Beth Israel, Worcester, MA (1959)
Temple Agudath Achim, Leominster, MA (ca. 1960)
Temple Beth Elohim, Wellseley (1960; sold and/or demolished? ca. 2010)
Temple Beth Am, Randolph, MA. (1961?; sold to a church 2016))
Tifereth Israel, New Bedford, MA (1966) 

Worcester, MA. Temple Beth Israel. Carney Goldberg, arch. (1959). Photo: Wikipedia.

Former Temple Tifereth Israel, 539 Salem St., Malden, MA (1955). Photo: Jonathan Goldblith, courtesy Julian Preisler.

Former Temple Tifereth Israel, 539 Salem St., Malden, MA (1955). Photo: Jonathan Goldblith, courtesy Julian Preisler.

Prior to partnering with Goldberg, Isador Richmond had worked at Cram & Ferguson, Bellows & Aldrich, Guy Lowell, and then established and independent practice in 1925. According to his AIA membership documents he was associate architect of the Newtowne Court Housing project, Cambridge, Massachusetts; other buildings designed "include Lamson & Hubbard, Boston; chapel at Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, India; industrial buildings for Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham; housing projects in Brookline, Mass" and also "college buildings, libraries, temples, synagogues."  He also apparently did some teaching at MIT.

New Bedford, MA. Tifereth Israel Cong., presentation drawing., ca. 1966. Photo: U Mass Dartmouth Archives

New Bedford, MA. Tifereth Israel Cong.,
Photo: U. Mass Dartmouth Archives

New Bedford, MA. Tifereth Israel Cong.,
Photo: U. Mass Dartmouth Archives