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Guide to the Congregation Beth Israel Records
MS 43
MS 43
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Title: Congregation Beth Israel Records
Identifier/Call Number: MS 43
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.25 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1921-1969
Abstract: This collection consists of documents from Congregation Beth Israel related to their land purchases and projects.
creator:
Congregation Beth Israel (San Diego, Calif.).
Biographical / Historical Notes
Congregation Beth Israel, with roots in San Diego dating back to 1861, was officially incorporated in 1886. Since its inception,
it has built and occupied three synagogues in San Diego, all of which are still standing. The Congregation’s first temple
was completed in 1889 at 2nd Avenue and Beech Street (1502 2nd Avenue), largely due to the efforts of Samuel I. Fox and Adolph
Levi. In this same time period, the Congregation established a Jewish burial ground called Home of Peace Cemetery as part
of Mount Hope Cemetery.
In 1926, outgrowing its synagogue building, the Congregation purchased lots G, H and I on Block 286 of the “Horton’s Addition”
area of San Diego, on 3rd and Laurel Streets. There they built a new synagogue, Temple Beth Israel, which was designed by
noted San Diego architect William Henry Wheeler and built by M. Trepte & Son. The synagogue was mortgaged in 1931. The Congregation
continued to purchase land on Block 286, and it soon owned the entire block, including an apartment complex and house that
were demolished in 1968 to make way for a parking lot for the Temple. In 1967, Congregation Beth Israel merged with Temple
Solel, whose five blocks of property located between Juan Street and Harney Court came under the care of the Congregation.
In 2001, the Congregation built a new temple and surrounding complex in University City, and sold Block 286 to Peter J. Block
Companies, who agreed to preserve the building. It is currently occupied by Ohr Shalom Synagogue. The first and original temple,
which had been owned and used by the Fraternal Spiritualist Church, was made a San Diego Historic Site in 1973. Congregation
Beth Israel repurchased this building and donated it to the county in 1978; in that year it was moved to Heritage Park in
Old Town, where it stands today and serves as a public meeting place and religious museum after a long period of restoration,
funded in part by both the Congregation and the Save Our Heritage Organization.
This collection was donated by Richard C. Levi, grandson of one of the early leaders of Congregation Beth Israel, Adolph Levi.
Adolph (1858-1943) immigrated to California from Bohemia in 1877 to join his brother Simon (1850-1918) in San Diego. Both
became successful businessmen and prominent members of San Diego. Adolph was instrumental in building the first synagogue,
and both Adolph and Simon served terms as president of Congregation Beth Israel. Richard Levi (1918 - ) was an active leader
of the Congregation, serving as Treasurer for many years.
The collection contains documents relating to the administration, land purchases and building projects of Congregation Beth
Israel, including its temple on 3rd and Laurel Streets. Highlights include administrative resolutions, court petitions, legal
agreements and contracts, correspondence, maps and property deeds.
Items in the collection are arranged by subject.
Collection processed by Jennifer Ho on December 7, 2011.
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Congregation Beth Israel Records, MS 43, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number 830729A.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Albert, David
Congregation Beth Israel (San Diego, Calif.).
F.E. Young Investment Co..
Fox, Samuel I.
Home of Peace Cemetery.
Levi, Adolph
Levi, Richard C.
Price, Alan
Rabin, Seymour
Samisch, E. H.
Stacy, Mary Duffy
Temple Beth Israel (San Diego, Calif.).
Trepte Construction Company.
Wheeler, William Henry
Real property
San Diego (Calif.)
Synagogues