Beth Israel Congregation (Jackson, Mississippi)
Reform Jewish Synagogue in Jackson, US / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Beth Israel Congregation (Hebrew: בית ישראל) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 5315 Old Canton Road in Jackson, Mississippi, in the United States. Organized in 1860[6] by Jews of German background,[2] it is the only Jewish synagogue in Jackson.[5] Beth Israel built the first synagogue in Mississippi in 1867, and, after it burned down, its 1874 replacement was at one time the oldest religious building in Jackson.[2]
Beth Israel | |
---|---|
Hebrew: בית ישראל | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
Leadership | Rabbi Joseph Rosen |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | 5315 Old Canton Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211 |
Country | United States |
Location in Mississippi | |
Geographic coordinates | 32°22′11″N 90°07′57″W |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Joseph Willis (1875) |
Type | Synagogue |
Style | Gothic Revival (1875) |
Date established | 1861 (as a congregation) |
Completed |
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Website | |
bethisraelms | |
[1][2][3][4][5] |
Originally Orthodox, the congregation joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1874. After going through a series of rabbis, and periods without one, the congregation hired Meyer Lovitt as rabbi in 1929; he would remain until 1954.[7] The congregation moved to a new building in 1941.[2]
Dr. Perry Nussbaum, Beth Israel's rabbi from 1954 to 1973, was active in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1967 the congregation moved to a new synagogue building, and both the new building and Nussbaum's house were bombed by the Ku Klux Klan that year.[2][8][9] In 2003, Valerie Cohen became the congregation's first female rabbi.[5][10] Rabbi Rosen began at Beth Israel Congregation in July 2019.[1] With a growing membership of over 200 families, Beth Israel was the largest Jewish congregation in the state.[2][11][12]