This collection documents over 100 years of Congregation Beth
Israel's history from shortly after its founding. It is divided
into six series: Corporate, Administrative, and Financial;
Congregational Materials; Marriage Licenses; Salem Cemetery;
Cornerstone; Beth Israel was founded in 1860 as the first
conservative congregation west of Chicago. Its first building
was on Sutter near Stockton. The congregation was in its fourth
building at Geary and Octavia at the time of the 1906
earthquake. The cornerstone had been laid for a new building at
1839 Geary near Fillmore in 1905. The construction was almost
complete when it was destroyed in the quake. After rebuilding at
the same site they moved into their fifth and final building in
1908. The temple offices and religious school moved to 14th and
Balboa in 1948. In 1969 Beth Israel and Temple Judea, a young
Reform congregation, merged and moved into Temple Judea's
buildings on Brotherhood Way. This was one of the first mergers
between a Conservative and a Reform c