# Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County

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Synagogue in North America

For similarly named synagogues, see [Beth Israel](/source/Beth_Israel_(disambiguation)).

Beth Israel Religion Affiliation Conservative Judaism Ecclesiastical or organizational status Synagogue Leadership Rabbi Jon Cutler Status Active Location Location 385 Pottstown Pike, (Route 100), Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Country United States Location in Pennsylvania Administration United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Coordinates 40°05′01″N 75°41′26″W / 40.083551°N 75.690474°W / 40.083551; -75.690474 Architecture Architect Callori Architects Type Synagogue Established 1904 (Coatesville congregation) Groundbreaking 1994 Completed 1924 (in Coatesville) 1995 (in Upper Uwchlan) Website bethisraelpa.org [1][2][3]

**Beth Israel Congregation** is a [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Judaism) [synagogue](/source/Synagogue) located at 385 Pottstown Pike ([Route 100](/source/Pennsylvania_Route_100)) in [Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County](/source/Upper_Uwchlan_Township%2C_Pennsylvania), [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), in the United States.[1] The congregation was founded in [Coatesville](/source/Coatesville%2C_Pennsylvania) in 1904 as **Kesher Israel** by [Eastern European](/source/Eastern_Europe) immigrants, and formally chartered as "Beth Israel" in 1916.[4] It constructed its first building in 1923, and expanded it after [World War II](/source/World_War_II).[2]

[Linda Joy Holtzman](/source/Linda_Joy_Holtzman) was appointed rabbi in 1979, the first female rabbi appointed to lead a Conservative congregation in the United States.[5][6] Holtzman served until 1985,[7] and was succeeded by Michael Charney.[8] The congregation purchased its current property in 1989, and completed its facility there in 1995.[2] Charney was succeeded in 2015 by Jon Cutler.[9]

## Early history

Beth Israel was founded in 1904 as **Kesher Israel** by Jewish immigrants to Coatesville, Pennsylvania from Eastern Europe. It established a Sunday school and purchased a cemetery in 1907, and was formally chartered as "Beth Israel" by the Chester County Court of Common Pleas in 1916.[4]

The congregation purchased land on Fifth Avenue and Harmony Street in Coatesville in 1923, and constructed a new synagogue building there,[2] completed in 1924.[10] After World War II, an extension to the building added a chapel/library and classrooms, and expanded the kitchen and social hall.[2]

Elihu Schagrin was [rabbi](/source/Rabbi) from 1945 to 1953. Born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1918, he was [ordained](/source/Semikhah) at the [Reform](/source/Reform_Judaism) [Jewish Institute of Religion](/source/Jewish_Institute_of_Religion) in 1946. During his tenure at Beth Israel he also served as chaplain of Coatesville's [Veterans Hospital](/source/Veterans_Health_Administration), and, from 1949 on, was president of the Greater Coatesville Inter-Racial Committee. In 1953 he moved to Temple Concord of Binghamton, New York.[11][12]

## Linda Holtzman

In 1979, the congregation (which now numbered 110 families) hired [Linda Joy Holtzman](/source/Linda_Joy_Holtzman) as rabbi.[13][14][15] She had been ordained that year by the [Reconstructionist Rabbinical College](/source/Reconstructionist_Rabbinical_College), and was one of thirty applicants.[13][16] She became the second woman in the United States to serve as the presiding or senior rabbi of a synagogue, following [Michal Bernstein](/source/Michal_Mendelsohn).[6] She was the first woman to serve as a rabbi for a Conservative congregation, as the Conservative movement did not then ordain women.[5] The [Reform](/source/Reform_Judaism) and [Reconstructionist](/source/Reconstructionist_Judaism) movements had previously ordained at least ten women rabbis, but (aside from Bernstein) they all served as assistant rabbis, hospital chaplains, or directors of university campus [Hillel](/source/Hillel%3A_The_Foundation_for_Jewish_Campus_Life) organizations.[13][14] *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* described her hiring as "a marked breakthrough for the growing numbers of women who have faced obstacles in becoming a rabbi-in-charge", and quoted Holtzman as saying "the fact that I have an appointment in a small town and that they have entrusted me with functions they believe are important is very significant for women and for the Jewish community".[14] At the time, there were only 22 female rabbis in the entire world.[15]

Beth Israel hired the Reconstructionist-ordained Holtzman despite the fact that it was a Conservative synagogue.[5] The executive vice president of the Conservative [Rabbinical Assembly](/source/Rabbinical_Assembly), Rabbi [Wolfe Kelman](/source/Wolfe_Kelman), described the appointment as "an historical breakthrough and simply fantastic", and felt that other synagogues would be encouraged to follow suit. At the time, the Rabbinical Assembly did not accept women as members, and the Conservative movement did not ordain its first woman rabbi—[Amy Eilberg](/source/Amy_Eilberg)—until 1985.[13] The hiring of a non-Conservative rabbi in itself was not unusual, however; due in part to a shortage of Conservative rabbis, a fifth of all Conservative synagogues in the U.S. had non-Conservative rabbis in place.[14] While Holtzman believed in the tenets of the Reconstructionist movement, she said that members of the congregation could choose to follow either traditional or nontraditional ideas.[14]

Beth Israel's membership was 125 families by 1983, and the synagogue building also housed [B'nai B'rith](/source/B'nai_B'rith) and [Hadassah](/source/Hadassah_Women's_Zionist_Organization_of_America) chapters.[10] Holtzman served at Beth Israel until 1985, when her contract was up for renegotiation.[17] She had been living in Philadelphia and commuting to Coatesville for several years; although she and her lesbian partner had had an open commitment ceremony in Philadelphia, she had not yet come out to her congregation (but despite living something of a double life, she had enjoyed her time with the synagogue and found it very rewarding).[17] Now she informed Beth Israel's board of directors that she and her partner were planning to have children and that she wanted co-parenting leave, and by her subsequent account, each board member privately indicated they were okay with this but that the other board members were not ready for such a development.[17] She left the synagogue and later that year became spiritual leader of Beth Ahavah, an [LGBT](/source/LGBT) congregation in [Center City, Philadelphia](/source/Center_City%2C_Philadelphia).[7][18]

## Events since 1985

Holtzman was succeeded as rabbi in 1985 by Michael Charney. The son and grandson of rabbis, he was ordained at the Reform [Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion](/source/Hebrew_Union_College-Jewish_Institute_of_Religion) in Cincinnati, and served congregations in Clearwater, Florida and Bowie, Maryland before coming to Beth Israel. While serving at Beth Israel, he also work as a chaplain at [Norristown State Hospital](/source/Norristown_State_Hospital), and taught [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language) at [Arcadia University](/source/Arcadia_University). Charney retired in 2015, though continued to instruct [Bar and bat mitzvah](/source/Bar_and_bat_mitzvah) candidates, and died in 2019.[8]

The congregation purchased its current property at 385 Pottstown Pike ([Route 100](/source/Pennsylvania_Route_100)) in [Upper Uwchlan Township](/source/Upper_Uwchlan_Township%2C_Pennsylvania) in 1989. Construction on a new synagogue building there began in 1994 and completed in 1995. Designed by Callori Architects, the 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) facility[3] houses a sanctuary, chapel/library, and school wing. Behind the school wing is a [Holocaust](/source/The_Holocaust) memorial garden.[2]

Jon Cutler became the rabbi of Beth Israel in 2015. A native of Philadelphia, he graduated from [Temple University](/source/Temple_University) in with a Masters of Arts in Religious Studies, and was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He then earned his Doctor of Ministry (Counseling) from [Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion](/source/Hebrew_Union_College-Jewish_Institute_of_Religion). He previously served in congregations in [Flemington, New Jersey](/source/Flemington%2C_New_Jersey) and [Warrington, Pennsylvania](/source/Warrington_Township%2C_Bucks_County%2C_Pennsylvania).[9] Cutler also had a long career as a chaplain for the U.S. [Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) and [Marines](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps), retiring as a [Naval Reserve](/source/United_States_Navy_Reserve) captain on April 30, 2017, 32 years to the day after his original [commission](/source/Commission_(document)).[19]

A member of the [United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism](/source/United_Synagogue_of_Conservative_Judaism),[1] it holds services Friday evenings, *[Shabbat](/source/Shabbat)* mornings, and on [Jewish holidays](/source/Jewish_holidays).[2]

## See also

- [History of the Jews in Pennsylvania](/source/History_of_the_Jews_in_Pennsylvania)

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Homepage_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Homepage_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Homepage_1-2) [Beth Israel website](#refHomepage).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Welcome_2-6) [Welcome, Beth Israel website](#refWelcome).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Callori_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Callori_3-1) [Beth Israel Congregation, Callori Architects website](#refCallori).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Chartered_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Chartered_4-1) [Welcome, Beth Israel website](#reWelcome). [Rosen (1983)](#refRosen1983), p. 363 states Beth Israel was established in 1916.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Goldstein2009p337_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Goldstein2009p337_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Goldstein2009p337_5-2) [Goldstein (2009)](#refGoldstein2009), p. 337.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gallob1979_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gallob1979_6-1) [Gallob (August 22, 1979)](#refGallob1979).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Schwartzman2007_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Schwartzman2007_7-1) [Schwartzman (2007)](#refSchwartzman2007).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Weisberger2019_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Weisberger2019_8-1) [Weisberger (January 3, 2019)](#refWeisberger2019).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Leadership_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Leadership_9-1) [Leadership, Beth Israel website](#refLeadership).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rosen1983p363_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rosen1983p363_10-1) [Rosen (1983)](#refRosen1983), p. 363.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SchneidermanCarmin1955p841_11-0)** [Schneiderman & Carmin (1955)](#refSchneidermanCarmin1955), p. 841.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WhosWho1992_12-0)** [Who's Who in Religion, 1992–1993](#refWhosWho1992)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kaplan2009pp237-238_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kaplan2009pp237-238_13-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Kaplan2009pp237-238_13-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Kaplan2009pp237-238_13-3) [Kaplan (2009)](#refKaplan2009), pp. 237–238.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Briggs1979pA20_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Briggs1979pA20_14-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Briggs1979pA20_14-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Briggs1979pA20_14-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Briggs1979pA20_14-4) [Briggs (1979)](#refBriggs1979), p. A20.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MontrealGazette1979p42_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MontrealGazette1979p42_15-1) [*Montreal Gazette* (August 25, 1979)](#refMontrealGazette1979), p. 42.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Weiser1981p392_16-0)** [Weiser (1981)](#refWeiser1981), p. 392.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Holtzman2001pp39-49_17-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Holtzman2001pp39-49_17-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Holtzman2001pp39-49_17-2) [Holtzman (2001)](#refHoltzman2001), [pp. 39–49](https://books.google.com/books?id=mgS8DoaS684C&pg=PA39).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hasbany1989p93_18-0)** [Hasbany (1989)](#refHasbany1989), p. 93.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Tenorio2017_19-0)** [Tenorio (2017)](#refTenorio2017).

## References

- [Beth Israel Congregation website](http://www.bethisraelpa.org/). Accessed November 23, 2010. - [Leadership](http://www.bethisraelpa.org/leadership), Beth Israel Congregation website. Accessed January 9, 2019. - [Welcome](http://www.bethisraelpa.org/welcome), Beth Israel Congregation website. Accessed January 9, 2019.

- Briggs, Kenneth A. ["Only Female Presiding Rabbi in U.S. Begins Her Work in a Small Town"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1979/08/16/112050701.pdf), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, August 16, 1979.

- [Beth Israel Congregation](http://www.calloriarchitectsleonia.com/portfolio/religious/religious3.htm), Callori Architects website. Accessed November 23, 2010.

- Goldstein, Elyse. *New Jewish feminism: Probing the Past, Forging the Future*, Jewish Lights Publishing, 2009. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-58023-359-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-58023-359-0)

- Hasbany, Richard. *Homosexuality and Religion*, [Routledge](/source/Routledge), 1989. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-86656-909-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-86656-909-5)

- Holtzman, Linda, "My Life as a Lesbian Rabbi", in Trachtenberg Alpert, Rebecca; Elwell, Ellen Sue Levi; Idelson, Shirley (eds.). *Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation*. [Rutgers University Press](/source/Rutgers_University_Press), 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8135-2916-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8135-2916-5)

- Gallob, Ben. ["22 Women Now Ordained As Rabbis Most of Them Do Not Have Pulpits"](https://www.jta.org/1979/08/23/archive/22-women-now-ordained-as-rabbis-most-of-them-do-not-have-pulpits), *[Jewish Telegraphic Agency](/source/Jewish_Telegraphic_Agency)*, August 22, 1979.

- Kaplan, Dana Evan. *Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal*, [Columbia University Press](/source/Columbia_University_Press), 2009. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-231-13728-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-231-13728-7)

- "Woman to head synagogue is first for U.S. congregation", *[The Montreal Gazette](/source/The_Gazette_(Montreal))* (*[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press)*), August 25, 1979.

- Rosen, Oded. *The Encyclopedia of Jewish Institutions: United States & Canada*, Mosadot Publications, 1983.

- Schneiderman, Harry; Carmin, Itzhak J. *Who's Who in World Jewry*, Pitman Publishing Corporation, 1955.

- Schwartzman, Bryan. ["She Loves What They Argue About at Mishkan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080828141527/http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/14046/), *[The Jewish Exponent](/source/The_Jewish_Exponent)*, September 13, 2007.

- Tenorio, Rich. ["How a high-ranking gay Navy chaplain retired with pride"](https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-a-high-ranking-gay-navy-chaplain-retired-with-pride/), *[The Times of Israel](/source/The_Times_of_Israel)*, September 19, 2017.

- Weisberger, Jed. ["Longtime Chester County Rabbi Dies"](http://jewishexponent.com/2019/01/03/longtime-chester-county-rabbi-dies/). *[The Jewish Exponent](/source/The_Jewish_Exponent)*, January 3, 2019.

- Weiser, Marjorie P. K.; Arbeiter, Jean S. *Womanlist*, Atheneum, 1981, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-689-11083-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-689-11083-2)

- "Schagrin, Elihu", *Who's Who in Religion, 1992–1993*, [Marquis Who's Who](/source/Marquis_Who's_Who), 1992. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8379-1604-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8379-1604-0)

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.bethisraelpa.org/)

v t e Synagogues in the United States By state Alabama Beth-El (Anniston) Knesseth Israel (Birmingham) Beth-El (Birmingham) Emanu-El (Birmingham) B'nai Sholom (Huntsville) Sha’arai Shomayim (Mobile) Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem (Montgomery) Beth Or (Montgomery) Alaska Arizona Beth Israel (Scottsdale) Emanuel (Tempe) Kol Ami (Tucson) Arkansas Shalom (Fayetteville) California Los Angeles Stephen Wise Temple (Bel Air) Beth Jacob (Beverly Hills) Emanuel (Beverly Hills) Valley Beth Shalom (Encino) Beth Israel (Highland Park & Eagle Rock) Temple Israel (Hollywood) Beth Am IKAR (LA) Wilshire Boulevard (LA) Beth Chayim Chadashim (Mid City) Ahavat Shalom (Northridge) Kehillat Israel (Pacific Palisades) Ner Tamid (Rancho Palos Verdes) Jewish Temple and Center (Pasadena) Pacific Jewish Center (Venice) Sephardic Temple (Westwood) Sinai Temple (Westwood) Bay Area Beth Israel (Berkeley) Beyt Tikkun (Berkeley) Peninsula Temple Sholom (Burlingame) B'nai Israel (Daly City) Beth Am (Los Altos Hills) Kehilla Community (Oakland) Temple Sinai (Oakland) Am Tikvah (San Francisco) Beth Sholom (San Francisco) Emanu-El (San Francisco) House of Love and Prayer (San Francisco) The Kitchen (San Francisco) Sherith Israel (San Francisco) Rodef Sholom (San Rafael) Kol Shofar (Tiburon) Beth Israel (Fresno) Chabad (Poway) B'nai Israel (Sacramento) Beth Israel (San Diego) Temple Israel (Stockton) Colorado Beth HaMedrosh Hagodol-Beth Joseph (Denver) Temple Emanuel (Denver) Temple Sinai (Denver) Temple Emanuel (Pueblo) Temple Aaron (Trinidad) Connecticut B'nai Israel (Bridgeport) Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (Chester) Knesseth Israel (Ellington) Ahavath Achim (Fairfield) Mishkan Israel (Hamden) Beth Israel (Hartford West) Tephereth Israel (New Britain) Beth Israel (New Haven) Agudath Sholom (Stamford) Israel (Westport) B'nai Jacob (Woodbridge) Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont Delaware District of Columbia Adas Israel Bet Mishpachah DC Minyan Kesher Israel Machar Ohev Sholom Rosh Pina Sixth & I Temple Micah Washington Hebrew Florida Ahavath Chesed (Jacksonville) Bal Harbour (Surfside) Bet Shira (Miami) Edmond J. 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Safra (Homecrest) Ocean Parkway (Kensington) Manhattan Beach Jewish Center B'nai Yosef (Mapleton) East Midwood (Midwood) Kingsway Center (Midwood) Sephardic Center (Mills Basin) Beth Elohim (Park Slope) Kolot Chayeinu (Park Slope) Park Slope (Park Slope) Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom (Williamsburg) Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Hooper St, Williamsburg) Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Rodney St, Williamsburg) Long Island Jewish Center (Atlantic Beach) Jewish Center (East Hampton) East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center North Country Reform (Glen Cove) Beth-El (Great Neck) Tifereth Israel (Greenport) Jericho Jewish Center Emanu-El (Long Beach) RSNS (Plandome) Beth Israel (Port Washington) Adas Israel (Sag Harbor) Aish Kodesh (Woodmere) Manhattan Altneu Sixth Street (East Village) Meserich (East Village) Beth Israel (Garment District) Millinery Center (Garment District) Old Broadway (Harlem) Actor's Temple (Hells Kitchen) Fort Tryon (Hudson Heights) Lincoln Square (Lincoln Square) Bialystoker (Lower East Side) City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (Lower East Side) Chasam Sopher (Lower E. Side) Eldridge Street (Lower E. Side) Kehila Kedosha Janina (Lower E. Side) Shul of New York (Lower E. Side) Stanton Street (Lower East) Talmud Torah Adereth El (Midtown East) Lab/Shul (Lower W. Side) Beit Simchat Torah (Midtown) Central Synagogue (Midtown) Sutton Place (Midtown) TriBeCa Synagogue (Tribeca) Temple Emanu-El (Upper E. Side) Fifth Avenue (Upper E. Side) Temple Israel (Upper E. Side) Kehilath Jeshurun (Upper E. Side) Or Zarua (Upper E. Side) Park Avenue (Upper E. Side) Park East (Upper E. Side) Edmond J. Safra (Upper E. Side) Shaaray Tefila (Upper E. Side) TUJ (Upper E. Side) Ansche Chesed (Upper W. Side) B'nai Jeshurun (Upper W. Side) Habonim (Upper W. Side) Jewish Center (Upper W. Side) Kol Zimrah (Upper W. Side) Ohab Zedek (Upper W. Side) Ramath Orah (Upper W. Side) Rodeph Sholom (Upper W. Side) Romemu (Upper W. Side) Shaare Zedek (Upper W. Side) Shearith Israel (Upper W. Side) SAJ (Upper W. Side) Stephen Wise (Upper W. Side) Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights K'hal Adath Jeshurun (Washington Hts.) Mount Sinai (Washington Hts.) Queens Center of Israel (Astoria) Etz Hayim (Bayside) Tifereth Israel (Corona) Free Synagogue of Flushing Georgian Jews (Forest Hills) Queens Center (Forest Hills) Rego Park (Rego Park) Beth Emeth (Albany) Beth David (Amenia) Beth Zion (Buffalo) Beth El (Chappaqua) Beth Shalom (Clifton Park) B'nai Israel (Fleischmanns) Hunter (Hunter) Kerhonkson Synagogue (Kerhonkson) Loch Sheldrake Synagogue Agudas Achim (Livingston Manor) Hebrew Congregation (Mountaindale) Jewish Center (Norwich) Beth Israel (Plattsburgh) Kneses Tifereth Israel (Port Chester) B'rith Kodesh (Rochester) Beth Tzedek (Getzville) South Fallsburg Hebrew Association Emanu-El (Staten Island) Anshei Glen Wild (Sullivan Co.) Bikur Cholim B'nai Israel (Swan Lake) Society of Concord (Syracuse) Berith Sholom (Troy) Beth Joseph Synagogue (Tupper Lake) Spring Glen Synagogue (Wawarsing) Ulster Heights Synagogue (Wawarsing) West Point Jewish Chapel Temple Israel (White Plains) B'nai Israel (Woodbourne) Ohave Shalom (Woodridge) Lincoln Park (Yonkers) North Carolina Beth Israel (Asheville) Temple Israel (Charlotte) Temple Israel (Kinston) Emanuel (Statesville) Temple of Israel (Wilmington) North Dakota B'nai Israel (Grand Forks) Ohio Tifereth-Israel (Beachwood) Agudas Achim (Bexley) Golf Manor (Cincinnati) Rockdale (Cincinnati) Wise Temple (Cincinnati) Anshe Chesed Fairmount (Cleveland) Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai (Cleveland) Park Synagogue (Cleveland) Silver Sanctuary (Cleveland) Temple Israel (Columbus) Temple Israel (Dayton) Beth Israel (Hamilton) B'nai Israel (Toledo) Oklahoma B'nai Israel (Oklahoma City) Temple Israel (Tulsa) Oregon Beth Israel (Eugene) Beth Israel (Portland) Havurah Shalom (Portland) Neveh Shalom (Portland) Shaarie Torah (Portland) Pennsylvania Philadelphia Beit Harambam Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel B'nai Abraham Frank Memorial Germantown Jewish Centre Keneseth Israel Kesher Israel Mikveh Israel Rodeph Shalom Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel Society Hill South Philadelphia Shtiebel Vilna Congregation YPC Shari-Eli Beth Israel (Altoona) Beth Israel (Chester Co.) B'nai Shalom (Easton) Anshe Hesed (Erie) Beth Shalom (Elkins Park) Kesher Israel (Harrisburg) Ohev Sholom (Harrisburg) Beth Israel (Honesdale) Beth Israel (Lebanon) Beth Or (Maple Glen) Adath Israel (Merion) B'nai Jacob (Middletown) Har Zion Temple (Penn Valley) Rodef Shalom (Pittsburgh) Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha (Pittsburgh) Kesher Zion (Reading) Beth Israel (Washington) Main Line Reform Temple (Wynnewood) Beth Israel (York) Rhode Island Touro (Newport) Beth-El (Providence) Sons of Jacob (Providence) South Carolina Beth Israel (Beaufort) Beth Elohim (Charleston) House of Peace (Columbia) Beth Israel (Florence) Beth Elohim (Georgetown) Kol Ami (Fort Mill) Sinai (Sumter) Tennessee Adas Israel (Brownsville) Mizpah (Chattanooga) B'nai Israel (Jackson) Baron Hirsch (Memphis) Temple Israel (Memphis) Ohabai Sholom (Nashville) Sherith Israel (Nashville) Texas Agudas Achim (Austin) Beth Israel (Austin) Emanuel (Beaumont) B'nai Abraham (Brenham) Emanu-El (Dallas) Beth Jacob (Galveston) B'nai Israel (Galveston) Beth Israel (Houston) Beth Yeshurun (Houston) Sinai (Houston) Beth-El (San Antonio) Utah B'rith Sholem (Ogden) Kol Ami (Salt Lake City) Vermont Ohavi Zedek (Burlington) Old Ohavi Zedek (Burlington) Rutland Jewish Center Virginia Agudas Achim (Alexandria) Beth El (Alexandria) Beth Israel (Charlottesville) Rodef Shalom (McLean) Sinai (Newport News) Commodore Levy Chapel (Norfolk) Beth Ahabah (Richmond) Kol Emes (Richmond) Beth Israel (Roanoke) Adath Israel (Rutland) House of Israel (Staunton) Beth El (Winchester) Washington Beth Israel (Bellingham) Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath (Seattle) Ezra Bessaroth (Seattle) Kavana Cooperative (Seattle) Sephardic Bikur Holim (Seattle) De Hirsch Sinai (Seattle and Belleview) West Virginia Ohev Sholom (Huntington) Shalom (Wheeling) Wisconsin Beth El (Madison) Beth Israel Ner Tamid (Milwaukee) Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun (River Hills) Wyoming Mt Sinai (Cheyenne) Territories Virgin Islands Oldest U.S. synagogues History Category People US places of worship

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Israel_Congregation_of_Chester_County) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Israel_Congregation_of_Chester_County?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.