A Brief History of Beth Israel
Beth Israel was founded in 1928 in Woodbury, New Jersey. The first services were held in the home of Benjamin S. Snyder and the Torah was kept in the cupboard of the kitchen. It soon became apparent that a permanent place of worship would need to be built. This became the focus of the membership. In 1930 the second story of a building was rented on the corner of Broad Street and Aberdeen Place. The Congregation decided to build their own structure in 1939. The new building was located at West Center Street in Woodbury. The congregation exceeded the limits of this building in the late 1950s. A new building fund was established and a new synagogue opened in 1962 on the corner of South Warner and King Streets.
In 1972 an addition to the chapel was built to make sure all members could pray comfortably in the same space. The building went through a major refit in the late 1980s when the roof was replaced and major renovations completed.
The Woodbury Daily Times published an article about Beth Israel in 1967, marking the fifth anniversary of the opening of the current building. Click here to download the article (in pdf format).
For a history of the Jewish community in Gibbstown and Paulsboro, click here.
The Many Faces of CBTBI
