Joseph…
In New Haven
Congregation Bikur Cholim B’nai Abraham was formed in 1884 by ‘ordinary’ Orthodox Jews primarily from the Pale in the Russian Empire.
Sheveth Achim Anshei Lubavitch was formed in 1898 by Lubavitch Chasidim from the village of Korinetz.
Both synagogues were on Factory Street.
Sheveth Achim followed the Lubavitch calendar and nusach. By WWII the descendants of the original members were European Traditional but not Hasidim anymore.
Factory Street was slated for demolition and urban redevelopment. Neither synagogue was vibrant enough to move and build on its own, so in 1950 they merged into Bikur Cholim Sheveth Achim Synagogue and bought an existing church in the western end of New Haven. They adopted the Lubavitch nusach, had separate seating, but no mechitzah.
In the mid 1980s, a new group of frum Jews had moved into the neighborhood and the shul moved to the right, installing a mechitzah. I became a member after this had occurred.
In the mid 1990s the building was far too big and the neighborhood non longer Jewish. It was sold and they bought another church even further west in New Haven. There was a parsonage building on the lot which was leased to a Chabad shaliach. The synagogue continued to age and membership dwindle. I no longer lived in New Haven. Today, the building has essentially been taken over by Chabad and the congregation has come full circle.
In CT, it is not unusual for failing orthodox synagogues to be taken over by Chabad, who gain a building and membership at no cost. It has happened in Woodmont (which had been a summer shul for 85 years) and in Fairfield (the Hungarian shul). The young Chabad couples don’t have the 100K salary requirements of most suburban orthodox rabbis.