Temple Beth-El is a

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

located in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, USA. Founded in 1874, it is the oldest synagogue in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

. The current temple is located at the corner of Belknap and W. Ashby, just north of San Antonio Community College. Temple Beth-El is a

Reform Jewish Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

congregation, and a founding member of the

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

. In its early years the congregation's practice was informed by the assimilationist ideals of the Reform movement, which emphasized social justice and ethical practice more than traditional Jewish ritual. The opening of Temple Beth-El's first building in 1874 was celebrated by local church choirs signing together with the temple's. A second building was built in 1902; during its construction the temple met in a neighboring Baptist church, and in turn various Christian congregations held their services in the temple building for many years. From 1897 to 1920 the rabbi was Samuel Marks, who was an active participant in the civic activities of the state.Karl Preuss
"Personality, Politics and the Price of Justice: Ephraim Frisch, San Antonio's "Radical" Rabbi"
''

American Jewish History ''American Jewish History'' is an academic journal and the official publication of the American Jewish Historical Society. The journal was established in 1892 and focuses on all aspects of the history of Jews in the United States. The journal was ...

'', September 1, 1997. From 1923 to 1942, the congregation was led by Rabbi Ephraim Frisch, a prominent activist rabbi who was the son-in-law of one of Texas' best known rabbis,

Henry Cohen Henry Cohen may refer to: * Henry Cohen (numismatist) (1806–1880), French numismatist, bibliographer and composer *Henry Cohen (rabbi) (1863–1952), Jewish Texan rabbi in Galveston, Texas, 1888–1952 *Henry Cohen (politician) (1872–1942), Aus ...

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

. Frisch was controversial for his outspoken positions on a wide range of political and economic issues: he opposed Zionism (as many Reform rabbis did at the time), supported teaching evolution in the schools, spoke against the poll tax, and advocated for workers' rights. After a particularly controversial public letter decrying a police raid and arrest of labor activists, the congregation ultimately forced Frisch to retire in 1942. Frisch's successor, David Jacobson, had a less confrontational style but was also politically active. While serving as Frisch's associate rabbi in 1938, he chaired a city commission examining the city's economic and social issues. Jacobson served as a Navy chaplain during World War II. Returning after the war, he continued to be active in social issues, notably as a persistent advocate of racial desegregation in the city.Karl Preuss, "Rabbi David Jacobson and the Integration of San Antonio", in Mark K. Bauman, Berkley Kalin, eds., ''The Quiet Voices: Southern Rabbis and Black Civil Rights, 1880s to 1990s'' (

University of Alabama Press The University of Alabama Press is a university press founded in 1945 and is the scholarly publishing arm of the University of Alabama. An editorial board composed of representatives from all doctoral degree granting public universities within Al ...

, 2007), , pp. 135-151. Jacobson's tenure also saw the congregation make some moves away from the Classical Reform style of worship, adopting rituals such as the bar mitzvah and instructing students in Hebrew."San Antonio"
''Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities'',

Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) is a non-profit Jewish organization serving a thirteen-state southern region. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, the ISJL provides programming throughout the South. Overview Mission: ...

(accessed 2015-03-17). As the congregation grew, another new building had been opened in 1927, with room in the sanctuary for 1200, as well as a community center building with classrooms. This was expanded in 1946 with an auditorium, social hall and new chapel. When Rabbi Jacobson retired in 1976, the congregation had 853 families. Under the next rabbi, Samuel M. Stahl, it grew to more than 1100 families by 1995. Barry Block became senior rabbi in 2002 and served until 2013, his tenure ending with a lengthy sabbatical after controversy within the congregation led to his negotiated departure.Abe Levy
"Temple Beth-El united around new senior rabbi"
''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

'', December 8, 2013. Still known as one of San Antonio's more contemporary

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, Temple Beth-El is very open in their support of the

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

and

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

community.Progressive Pulpits
. SanAntonioCurrent.com. February 15, 2006. Accessed January 4, 2007. Rabbi Mara Nathan became the Temple's senior rabbi in July, 2014. The Temple is also served by Associate Rabbi Marina Yergin, and Cantor Julie Berlin, as well as Rabbi Emeritus Stahl.

References

External links

Temple Beth-El
- The official website. *A photo of Temple Beth-El's 1904 building can be seen at https://web.archive.org/web/20110928032453/http://www.nmajh.org/exhibitions/postcards/images/58.jpg {{DEFAULTSORT:Beth-El (San Antonio History of San Antonio Reform synagogues in Texas Founding members of the Union for Reform Judaism Religious buildings and structures in San Antonio Religious organizations established in 1874 1874 establishments in Texas Synagogues completed in 1927 Synagogue buildings with domes

See also

References

External links