Sigmund Braverman (1894-1960) was an architect who displayed his Jewish heritage in both the buildings he designed and his involvement in various activities in the Cleveland, Ohio, Jewish community. Born in the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1894, he immigrated to the United States with his parents and settled first in Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1917 with a degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh and then serving in World War I, Braverman moved to Cleveland in 1920 and opened his architectural offices.
During the course of the forty years in which he practiced, especially during the time in which he was associated with architect Marcus Halperin, Braverman gained national recognition for the numerous structures he designed or assisted in designing. He also served as Cleveland's City Architect from 1933-1935. Throughout the years, Braverman showed great interest in the design of structures for Jewish institutions. Among the building projects on which he was involved were at least forty synagogues located throughout the country.
In addition to Cleveland structures, such as the Young Israel Synagogue, the Warrensville Center Synagogue, Temple Emanu El, Temple on the Heights, and Fairmount Temple, Braverman worked on similar projects in Georgia, Nebraska, Iowa, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Maryland. Braverman did not restrict his efforts to projects involving synagogues. His work in Cleveland also included the Orthodox Home for the Aged, the Bureau of Jewish Education, and apartment buildings and restaurants.
Sigmund Braverman was the author of several articles which appeared on the subject of synagogue architecture in professional journals. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Ohio Architectural Society, and the Cleveland Architectural Society. He served on the Synagogue Architects' Consultant Panel of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. In addition, Braverman was active in Cleveland's Zionist movement and was on the board of directors of the Bureau of Jewish Education, was a trustee of the Cleveland Jewish Welfare Federation, and was an officer of the Jewish Community Center. Sigmund Braverman died on March 27, 1960. He is memorialized through an annual Sigmund Braverman Art Collection established by the Bureau of Jewish Education.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Sigmund Braverman
From the guide to the Sigmund Braverman Photographs, 1915-1959, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
