Temple Beth Tzedek () is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Getzville, in Western New York, in the state of New York, in the United States. The synagogue is the second-largest one in Buffalo and the region's flagship for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which represents 600 congregations across North America.
History The congregation was formed in 2008 through the merger of two congregations, named Temple Beth El, Buffalo's oldest synagogue per its founding in 1847, and Temple Shaarey Zedek. Rabbi Sara Rich was appointed the rabbi of the congregation in 2023. Cantor Mark Spindler has served as cantor since 1987 and Cantorial Intern Zahava Fried has been with the congregation from 2021 until his retirement in the summer of 2026. The synagogue has a museum inside of it called the Trossman Museum including multiple different Jewish items like the "Thai Menorah", which was created in 1987 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The new building for the synagogue was completed in 2018 by Finegold Alexander Architects and CannonDesign. The building had a more naturalistic look with glass emitting sunlight every day in the main sanctuary with the heavy use of timber and other wood materials to make it more nature-like and evoke the wooden synagogues of pre-World War II Eastern Europe. The facilities architectural design earned it a Brick by Brick Award for Excellence in Construction from Buffalo Business First in 2019.
In February 2024, Temple Beth Tzedek was one of the first places of worship in the world to receive universal design certification for their improvement of accessibility for the disabled. The project was led by Harvey Sanders, the chairman of the synagogue's Project Beit Tfilah Committee and Ed Steinfeld, a SUNY Distinguished Professor and the founder of the University at Buffalo's Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access.
On February 24, 2026, Temple Beth Tzedek held a memorial for Jonathan Dandes, who was an executive within the Buffalo Bisons baseball team, where his family also attended.
See also
History of the Jews in New York List of synagogues in New York (state)
References