Temple Beth Israel (Hebrew: בית ישראל) is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 801 West Michigan Avenue in Jackson, Michigan, in the United States.[1] Formed in 1862 by Jews of German background, it grew out of the Hebrew Benevolent Society, which had been organized in 1858, and was the second Reform congregation in Michigan.[2]
| Beth Israel | |
|---|---|
Hebrew: בית ישראל | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi S. Robert Morais |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 801 West Michigan Avenue, Jackson, Michigan 49202 |
| Country | United States |
  Location in Michigan | |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°14′51″N 84°25′25″W / 42.24741°N 84.423473°W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Date established | 1862 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1949 |
| Website | |
| tbijackson | |
After meeting in downtown Jackson in two different buildings, the congregation moved to its current site, on Michigan Avenue, that was dedicated in 1949 and remodelled following a fire in 1971. The congregation's cemetery is the oldest Jewish cemetery in continuous use and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2009.[3][4]
Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut, the son of the late rabbi Dr. W. Gunther Plaut, joined as rabbi in 2000 and served the congregation until his death in 2012.[5] In September 2011 Rabbi S. Robert Morais became Beth Israel's rabbi.