Sermon – Founders’ Nightmares, Founders’ Dreams
Sermon by Rabbi Rapport on Founder’s Day Classical Shabbat, January 11, 2019.

Established in 1843 as K.K. Adas Israel, The Temple was a founding member of Reform Judaism’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations. It is now called Union for Reform Judaism. Additionally, it was an early proponent of Reform in American Jewish life. When Reform Judaism began in 1873, The Temple in Louisville was the second largest congregation in the movement.
By the 1880’s Congregation Brith Sholom was formed for the next generation of Jews to settle here in Louisville who separated from Adath Israel. Brith Sholom joined the Reform movement in 1920 and the two congregations enjoyed cordial relations for nearly a century before reuniting in 1977 to become The Temple of today.