K.K. Beth Elohim

Front: Jews were present in Carolina by the 1690s. By 1820, Charleston had the largest Jewish population in the U.S. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (Holy Congregation House of God) was founded in 1749 by Jews mainly of Spanish and Portuguese descent. Congregants met in various locations until a synagogue was built on this site in 1794. It burned in a major 1838 fire. The current Greek Revival building was consecrated in 1841 and is among the oldest extant synagogues in the U.S. Reverse: The contractor for the 1841 synagogue was Beth Elohim member David Lopez Jr. In 1824, several dozen members petitioned Beth Elohim leaders for changes to the traditional liturgy. They later left the congregation and founded the Reformed Society of Israelites. The Society lapsed, but by the early 1840s, Beth Elohim had broken tradition, installed an organ, and adopted the Society’s principles, making it the first permanent Reform Jewish congregation in the U.S.