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Our History
Informally Organized in 1884, Formally Organized in 1888
We are Maine’s oldest active Jewish congregation. Our Center Street synagogue, lost in the Great Bangor Fire in 1911, was the first synagogue built in the state. Our congregation had its roots in a loose association of the earliest Lithuanian Jewish immigrants to Bangor, chartered as “The Independent Order of the Sons of Benjamin” in 1884, also creating a cemetery. Meeting in homes of early members, and later in a hall on Exchange Street, for over 130 years, Congregation Beth Israel has served the Jews of northern Maine.
Review a timeline below, or view this video by Rachel Wiseman.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1882′ title=’Ezriel Lemke Allen arrives in Bangor’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80a’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-12yvh’]
Ezriel Lemke Allen, the first of Beth Israel’s founding fathers, arrived in Bangor in 1882. A “Grodner landsman,” Ike Wolper, was peddling in the Old Town area, and induced Allen to leave Boston and seek his fortune in the more sparsely settled regions of Maine.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1884′ title=’Bangor Jews Borrow Torah from Ohavei Shalom in Boston’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue84e’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-y1z4l’]
For the High Holidays in 1884, Lemke Allen, Ike Wolper and Joe Bornstein, in a formal note, acknowledged they had “borrowed and received a Scroll of the Law” from Ohavei Shalom in Boston.
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[av_timeline_item date=’October 1888′ title=’Beth Israel Society Created’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80b’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-tcgi5′]
Joe Bernstein, Harry Cohen, Nathan Cohen, Jacob Altman, Israel Frank, Yechiel Cooperstach, Ike Wolper, Simon Kominsky, David Snyder, Ezra Sarhazy, Philip Hillson, Nathan Hillson, Marks Godlman, Israel Goldman, Joe Byer, Solomon Harris meet at the home of Lemke Allen and found Beth Israel Society.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1897′ title=’Center Street Synagogue Dedicated’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue821′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kvrd9′]
With the cornerstone laid on August 22rd, 1897, the first formal synagogue building in Bangor and Maine came to be. The building was dedicated on December 19th, 1897.
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[av_timeline_item date=’April 30, 1911′ title=’Great Bangor Fire Destroys Center Street Synagogue’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue83f’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-gfxid’]
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[av_timeline_item date=’March 9, 1913′ title=’York Street Building Dedicated’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue821′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-6v70l’]
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[av_timeline_item date=’December 9, 1923′ title=’Building Mortgage Paid’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue8e2′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-21pp9x’][/av_timeline_item]
[av_timeline_item date=’1948′ title=’Becomes Conservative Congregation’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue83f’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-1yi9et’]
Adopts mixed family seating during services.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1949′ title=’Rabbi Avraham Freedman’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80a’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-1puze5′]
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[av_timeline_item date=’1980′ title=’Building Renovations’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue821′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-1iskfx’]
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[av_timeline_item date=’May 18, 1982′ title=’First Conservative Rabbi Hired’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80a’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-1g18tp’]
Rabbi Joseph P. Schonberger is hired as Beth Israel’s first non-Orthodox rabbi.
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[av_timeline_item date=’June 1985′ title=’Women Allowed on Bima with Husbands’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80b’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-8uwt1′]
While we are reflexively egalitarian today, it took time for us to grow into parity for men and women in our services. This was, for our traditional congregation, a major step forward.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1987′ title=’Women Allowed to Receive Aliyot (with Husbands)’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80b’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-11ccp9′][/av_timeline_item]
[av_timeline_item date=’1988′ title=’Endowment Fund Created’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue856′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-xetsl’]
Endowment fund and annual appeal created by President Norman Minsky and current Board of Directors
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[av_timeline_item date=’1989′ title=’Sidney and Helen Epstein Fund Expansion’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue821′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-sv16t’]
A 4,000 square foot addition is constructed on the Adams Street side of the shul.
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[av_timeline_item date=’1990′ title=’Women Counted in Minyan’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80c’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-nksf9′][/av_timeline_item]
[av_timeline_item date=’1996′ title=’Full Equality of Women in Services at CBI’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue80b’ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-hisfh’][/av_timeline_item]
[av_timeline_item date=’2020-2021′ title=’Carol Epstein Funds Renovation of Expansion’ icon_image=’icon’ number_arrow=” icon=’ue821′ font=’entypo-fontello’ image=’http://beth-israel-bangor.org/wp-content/themes/enfold/config-templatebuilder/avia-template-builder/images/placeholder.jpg’ attachment=” attachment_size=” milestone_valign=’baseline’ milestone_color=” custom_milestone_color=” link=” linktarget=” linkelement=’all’ custom_id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-aaez1′]
Following in the footsteps of her parents, Carol Epstein funds and spearheads renovation of the Epstein Complex part of the building, including moving the kitchen upstairs.
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