Established in 1843, Congregation Beth Israel is one of Connecticut’s oldest Jewish congregations. Our first synagogue was built in Hartford in 1876 and lives on today as the Charter Oak Cultural Center. We moved from that location to our present home in West Hartford in 1936.
Committed to the advancement of Judaism and the Reform movement, Congregation Beth Israel was among the founding members of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism) in 1877. Today, we are one of the largest Reform congregations in the Northeast, serving approximately 900 families with diverse backgrounds. Beth Israel bridges the past with the present — and the future — by striving to remain a meaningful and inspiring force in the lives of its members.
The Way We Were by Marjorie L. Rafal
Mission
Our mission is to serve the lifelong spiritual and educational needs of our congregants, within a welcoming and caring contemporary Reform Jewish community.
In 2001, Marjorie Rafal authored a book about our history titled The Way We Were.
We have limited copies of the book available for sale at $12 per copy.
More information about our history is available in the Feldman Museum and the Marjorie L. Rafal Archives.
Thank you to Margot Rosenthal z”l, and her family for providing the funding of this website.
