Beth El

Jewish Life Lived Together

  • About Us ברוך הבא
    • Welcome
    • Beth El in Pictures
    • History
    • Our Rabbi
    • Professionals
    • Board and Committee Leadership
    • Membership
    • Cemetery
    • Job Openings at Beth El
  • Pray With Us עבודה
    • Live Stream
    • Youth and Families
    • Religious Services
    • Gabbaim at Beth El
    • Orthodox Kehillah
    • Shabbat Tunes
    • High Holidays
  • Learn With Us תורה
    • Early Childhood
    • Youth Groups
    • Youth Education
    • Lifelong Learning
    • A selection of D’vrei Torah from Rabbi Greyber
    • A Selection of D’vrei Torah from Guest Speakers
    • Beth El YouTube Channel
  • Act With Us חסד
    • Shabbaton
    • Community of Caring
    • Social Action
    • Sisterhood
    • Men of Beth El (MoB)
    • Volunteer at Beth El
    • Chevra Kaddisha
    • LGBTQ Alliance/Kol Koloteinu
    • Growing Thru Grief
    • INTERFAITH WORKING GROUP
    • Racial Justice Task Force
  • Be With Us חברה
    • View Calendar
    • Weekly Services
    • Weekly Newsletters
    • Beth El Bulletin
    • Community Resources
  • Support Us לתרומות
  • Calendar
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Join
  • Login

History

The Durham Jewish community traces its origins to the 1870s when German and Eastern European immigrants arrived to peddle and open stores in the growing tobacco town. In the early 1880s their numbers were augmented by the arrival of Russian-Jewish cigarette rollers.

The Durham Hebrew Congregation organized in 1887 and rented a hall on Main Street. In 1892, the congregants formally chartered the congregation and hired a rabbi. In 1905, they purchased a small, wood-framed church on Liberty Street, which became Durham’s first synagogue.

After World War I, the congregation built a large, cathedral-style synagogue downtown. When it was dedicated in 1921, the members took the name Beth El Congregation. Beth El remained Orthodox through the 1930s and 1940s, but over the years the community grew more liberal in its religious practices. In 1948, Beth El hired a rabbi who was a member of the Conservative movement.

Beth El broke ground for a new synagogue and center on Watts and Markham Streets in 1957. In its centennial year, 1987, Beth El acquired and renovated the Freedman Center, which provides classrooms and an attractive environment for major social and educational functions.

Beth El today reflects a vibrant, dynamic community led by a volunteer board, enriched with the teachings of many dedicated community members.

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1004 Watts Street, Durham NC 27701
(919) 682-1238 • Email Us
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