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In The Beginning... |
|
 Temple
Beth-El was conceived during a meeting in June 1931 where a congregation
was planned which would "adhere to the fundamental principles
of Judaism but still be alive to present-day thoughts and progress." High
Holiday Services were initially held at the Scottish Rite Temple
; within a few months, permanent quarters were leased in Colombo
Hall on West Broad Street. These facilities were formally dedicated
on Friday, November 13, 1931. In 1935, Beth-El was joined by
its first Conservative Rabbi, Morris A. Frank. Cemetery grounds
were purchased in 1936 and dedicated a year later. In 1938, membership
had grown to 200 and the school was thriving. |
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| Inspired Leadership... | |
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 In
1941, Beth-El was joined by Cantor Morris Okun and his wife Helen.He
served as Cantor until 1985. He introduced creative musical services
which he chanted with the choir to memorable acclaim. He was
highly respected as a Cantor, as an educator, and as an individual
who lived according to his faith. |
 Mrs.
Okun taught students for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. She presented numerous
programs both as soloist and director, performing cantatas and
choral works for many organizations including Hadassah, The Richmond
Jewish Community Center, Beth-El Sisterhood and the National
Women's League. |
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 His
successor, Rabbi Myron Berman, served ably until his retirement
in 1993 when Rabbi Gary Creditor, Beth-El's current Rabbi, took
the pulpit. He also
wrote the introduction and comments for The
Prophets, a booklet
developed in 1966. |
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After
the dedication of the main Temple building in 1949, plans were
developed for an educational structure. The Religious School Building
was dedicated on October 5, 1957 and on December 15, 1963, became
the Abraham I. Brown Educational building, adjacent to the synagogue
on Roseneath Avenue. |
With an eye to the future growth of Richmond's western suburbs, a tract of land was purchased on Parham Road in 1971 for future development; fund raising was begun for development of a new school in this location, but due to the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, this project was put "on hold" for several years. In the mid 1990's this project was revived, and a design for a school sufficient for the 21st century was developed.; the Jacob and Selma Brown Religious School Building was dedicated on October 24, 1999; as a complement to our new physical plant, we welcomed Rabbi Covel as our new Education Director in 2004.
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| Into The Future... | |
Beth-El now faces the challenges of this new century. We have seen an incredible burst of new activity, including adult education, public outreach, early childhood programming, and Jewish awareness which has revitalized Temple Beth-El. As we approach our 75th year under the religious leadership of Rabbi Creditor and Cantor Cohen, we look forward to the brightest of futures. |
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To
better accommodate the growing congregation, a small church and
an adjoining lot at 3330 Grove Avenue was purchased. The building
was dedicated in January 1939, attended by Governor James Price,
Mayor J. Fulmer Bright, and Congressman Dave Satterfield. The leap
of faith in this move was rewarded by the doubling of membership
in the following year. 
Rabbi
Jacob Milgrom came to Beth-El in 1951, and served until 1965,
when he resigned to take a teaching position at the University
of California at Berkeley. He was dedicated to the improvement
of Beth-El's religious school and youth programs. 