01In brief
Congregation Kol Israel is a name used in historical records for more than one Jewish congregation in the United States, including an Orthodox synagogue in Brownsville, Brooklyn, recorded in 1917–1918 and a Beaumont, Texas, congregation inducted into the United Synagogue of America in 1957. Similar forms of the name appear in records of a Suwałk-associated synagogue and burial associations in New York. The surviving sources do not establish an institutional relationship among these entries or provide complete histories for them.
02Brownsville, Brooklyn Congregation
The most detailed surviving entry bearing this name is the Orthodox congregation recorded at 176 Osborn Street in Brownsville, Brooklyn.[1] Organized in 1910, it was listed in the 1917–1918 Jewish Communal Register with 180 members and a seating capacity of 200.[1]
The register lists sick-benefit, cemetery, and study activities, indicating that the congregation served as both a house of worship and a mutual-aid institution.[1] Its president was Samuel Loss, listed at 168 Powell Street, Brooklyn, and its secretary was Joseph Gillule, listed at 262 Dumont Avenue, Brooklyn.[5]
A related biographical entry says that Loss was born in Russia in 1863, immigrated to the United States in 1902, and received a general Jewish education.[5] He was elected president in 1917 for a six-month term.[5]
03Beaumont, Texas Congregation
In the proceedings of its 1957 biennial convention, the United Synagogue of America listed Congregation Kol Israel of Beaumont among the congregations inducted as new affiliates.[2] The same Texas listing includes Congregation Shearith Israel of Dallas and Congregation Ahauath Achim of Tyler.[2] The source does not give the Beaumont congregation’s founding date, earlier history, or subsequent status.
04Suwałk-Associated Institutions in New York
New York records document both a synagogue associated with Jews from Suwałk and cemetery associations bearing similar names. A translated memorial book states that, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Rabbi Yisrael Izakson was rabbi of the large New York synagogue of Jews from Suwałk, identified as “Kol Yisrael Anshe Polin.”[4] The same source says Rabbi Mordekhay Doktor served that synagogue from 1906 to 1922.[4]
Separately, the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry records a Bayside Cemetery section named “Congregation Kol Israel Anshi - Polen Suwalki 1” at 80-35 Pitkin Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens. It lists 137 burials, 136 photographs, and Suwałk, Poland, as the landsmanshaft’s place of origin.[3] Other variants—including “Congregation Kol Israel Anshei Poland Suwalk,” “Congregation Kol Israel Polen Surwalk,” and “Congregation Kol Israel Anshie Polen”—appear among burial associations recorded at Acacia and Bayside cemeteries in Ozone Park.[6][7]
05Naming Variants and Identification
The records preserve several forms of the name. The cemetery pages use variants such as Kol Israel, Anshi, Anshei, or Anshie Polen or Poland, and Suwalk, Suwalki, or Surwalk.[6][7] The memorial book instead identifies the Suwałk synagogue as “Kol Yisrael Anshe Polin.”[4]
The cemetery sources do not establish whether their variants refer to a single congregation or to separate, related burial associations.[7] Similarities in the names and the Suwałk connection suggest a possible relationship between the synagogue in the memorial book and the cemetery associations, but the available sources do not confirm that they were the same institution.[3][4]
Sources
- 1The Jewish Communal Register of New York City, 1917–1918 (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 2Proceedings of the 1957 Biennial Convention, United Synagogue of America (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 3JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 4JewishGen, Memorial Book of Suvalk (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 5The Jewish Communal Register of New York City, 1917–1918 (alt. scan) (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 6JewishGen, General Information on Bayside Area Cemeteries (accessed September 18, 2026)
- 7JewishGen International Jewish Cemetery Project, Queens: Ozone Park (accessed September 18, 2026)
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Congregation Kol Israel?
Congregation Kol Israel is a name used in historical records for more than one Jewish congregation in the United States. Known entries include an Orthodox synagogue in Brownsville, Brooklyn, recorded in 1917–1918, and a Beaumont, Texas, congregation inducted into the United Synagogue of America in 1957. Similar forms of the name also appear in records of a Suwałk-associated synagogue and burial associations in New York. The surviving sources do not establish an institutional relationship among these entries or provide complete histories for them.
What do records say about the Congregation Kol Israel in Brownsville, Brooklyn?
The Brownsville, Brooklyn, congregation was an Orthodox synagogue located at 176 Osborn Street, organized in 1910. The 1917–1918 Jewish Communal Register recorded it with 180 members and a seating capacity of 200. Beyond worship, the congregation served as a mutual-aid institution, with sick-benefit, cemetery, and study activities listed. Its president at the time was Samuel Loss and its secretary was Joseph Gillule.
Who was Samuel Loss and what was his role in the Brownsville Congregation Kol Israel?
Samuel Loss was the president of the Brownsville, Brooklyn, Congregation Kol Israel, listed at 168 Powell Street, Brooklyn. He was born in Russia in 1863, immigrated to the United States in 1902, and received a general Jewish education. He was elected president in 1917 for a six-month term.
When did Congregation Kol Israel of Beaumont, Texas, join the United Synagogue of America?
Congregation Kol Israel of Beaumont, Texas, was inducted as a new affiliate of the United Synagogue of America at its 1957 biennial convention. The source that records this affiliation does not provide the congregation's founding date, earlier history, or subsequent status.
What is the connection between Congregation Kol Israel and Jews from Suwałk?
New York records document both a synagogue associated with Jews from Suwałk and cemetery associations bearing similar names. A translated memorial book identifies this synagogue as "Kol Yisrael Anshe Polin" and states that Rabbi Yisrael Izakson served as its rabbi at the beginning of the twentieth century, followed by Rabbi Mordekhay Doktor from 1906 to 1922. Separately, a section of Bayside Cemetery in Ozone Park, Queens, is recorded under the name "Congregation Kol Israel Anshi - Polen Suwalki 1," listing 137 burials and giving Suwałk, Poland, as the landsmanshaft's place of origin.
Do the various Congregation Kol Israel cemetery associations in New York all refer to the same institution?
The available sources do not confirm whether the cemetery name variants refer to a single congregation or to separate, related burial associations. Variants recorded at Acacia and Bayside cemeteries in Ozone Park include "Congregation Kol Israel Anshei Poland Suwalk," "Congregation Kol Israel Polen Surwalk," and "Congregation Kol Israel Anshie Polen," among others. Similarities in the names and the shared Suwałk connection suggest a possible relationship with the synagogue described in the memorial book, but this has not been confirmed by the surviving sources.