▁It ▁was ▁initially ▁an ▁Orth odox ▁syn agog ue . ▁It ▁slowly ▁turned ▁to ▁Reform ▁J uda ism ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁it ▁had ▁ 2 0 0 ▁members . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁it ▁opened ▁its ▁religious ▁school . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁it ▁cons olid ated ▁with ▁the ▁Beth - El ▁con greg ation , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁organized ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁services ▁were ▁modified ▁to ▁a ▁shorter , ▁simpler ▁version ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁was ▁presented ▁in ▁English . ▁That ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁allowing ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁to ▁sit ▁together , ▁introdu cing ▁organ ▁music ▁and ▁a ▁mixed ▁cho ir . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁it ▁had ▁ 2 4 0 ▁members . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁the ▁con greg ation ▁joined ▁the ▁Reform ▁movement ' s ▁national ▁organization ▁of ▁con greg ations , ▁the ▁Organ ization ▁of ▁American ▁Heb rew ▁Cong reg ations . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁it ▁had ▁ 5 0 0 ▁members . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁joined ▁the ▁American ▁Reform ▁movement ▁– ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁American ▁Heb rew ▁Cong reg ations ▁( or ▁U A HC , ▁now ▁the ▁U R J ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁it ▁established ▁a