Congregation Beth Israel (Berkeley, Calif.)

Berkeley's Congregation Beth Israel, was an Orthodox congregation. Its original membership was drawn from the First Hebrew Congregation of Berkeley, a congregation that had been meeting in various places since 1909. Under the name of the Berkeley Hebrew Center, in 1924, the congregation erected a building to house "all the Jewish activities." These activities included the California Alliance of Jewish Women and several Jewish student groups, such as the Menorah Society of the University of California. By the late 1950s, the synagogue served largely social functions. In 1959-1960, young observant Jews re-established Sabbath services and a Hebrew school. In 1961, the congregation selected its first full-time rabbi and changed the name of the synagogue to Beth Israel.