Our History
100 Years - Conservative Judiasm in Greenville, South Carolina
Our Roots
In order to make a living and earn enough to send support to their European relatives, located primarily in Russia and Poland, most of Greenville’s Jews became working class members of the local business establishments, while some became owner/operators of a number of successful businesses.
The Beginning
In 1910, without a sanctuary or synagogue, the first organized Jewish group in Greenville began renting rooms in which to worship. Six years later, in 1916, this informal group applied for, and was incorporated by the state of South Carolina, as Congregation Beth Israel.
Click HERE to read about our first Centennial celebration.
Our Synagogue
In 1930, construction began on Congregation Beth Israel’s first synagogue, which was located just north of downtown Greenville, on Townes Street. The current synagogue, constructed in 1957, stands proudly on Summit Drive, and is listed on the South Carolina Historical Registry.
Congregation Beth Israel, a Conservative Synagogue in Greenville, South Carolina is a thriving Jewish community whose origins date back to the late 1800’s, when tens of thousands of Jews were fleeing Europe in the hopes of finding safety, religious freedom, and a better life.
