Temple Beth-El (Pensacola, Florida)
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The Temple Beth-El ( he, ק.ק. בית אל), located in downtown
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
, is the oldest dedicated Jewish house of worship in Florida. The temple was founded in 1876. Beth-El is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, and has led the congregation in Reform Judaism services since the temple's foundation. The current
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
is Joel Fleekop.


History

The first Jews who migrated to northwest Florida originally stopped at
Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...
, twenty miles to the east,Temple Beth-El history
/ref> because Milton was a national hub for lumber production and distribution in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
(the first Jews to the area were skilled in lumber production; they came from heavily wooded areas in what is now southern Germany). Sensing more business opportunities to the west, a congregation settled in Pensacola and founded a Reform temple after forming in 1876. Many of the lumber workers in Milton did not follow the congregation, and eventually started a smaller Jewish community in
Okaloosa County Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668. Its county seat is Crestview. Okaloosa County ...
when lumber opportunities dried up. The male members of Beth-El's first congregation consisted largely of
business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...
men and tavern owners. The first two buildings of Temple Beth-El were destroyed in fires, first in 1895 and again in 1929. Temple Beth-El is now in its third building, still in its same spot on 800 North Palafox Street. The current building, designed in the 1930s, is an example of Art Deco architecture, which was prominent in Florida at the time. Today, many members of the current congregation are descendants of the men who founded the temple over 125 years ago. Immigrants from Eastern Europe, Israel, and the Caucasus eventually settled in Pensacola and became part of the congregation as well. Beth-El is unique today in that a large number of the congregation consists of Jews who converted from other faiths. Starting in 1962,
Paula Ackerman Paula Ackerman ( he, פאולה אקרמן; December 7, 1893 – January 12, 1989) was the first woman to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leading the Congregation Beth Israel (Meridian, Mississippi), Beth Israel congregation in M ...
, the first woman to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, served the congregation at Beth-El. A Pensacola native, Beth-El was Mrs. Ackerman's home temple and she was asked to fill in until a suitable replacement was found in 1963.


Well-known members

*
Paula Ackerman Paula Ackerman ( he, פאולה אקרמן; December 7, 1893 – January 12, 1989) was the first woman to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leading the Congregation Beth Israel (Meridian, Mississippi), Beth Israel congregation in M ...
(1893 – 1989), both as a child and later serving the congregation as a rabbi. *C. J. Heinberg (1901 – 1990) physician, first mayor of
Gulf Breeze Gulf Breeze is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is a suburb of Pensacola, and is in the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. The population estimate was 6,900 in 2020. Gulf Breeze is located just north of Pensacola Beach, and south of Pensaco ...


External links


Temple Beth-El websiteJews in Florida timeline (mentions Beth-El)


Sources

*A History of Temple Beth-el, Pensacola, Florida 1876-1990, By Janel D. Hendrix, Published by Trent's Prints, 2004


See also

Oldest synagogues in the United States Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beth-El (Pensacola, Florida) Art Deco architecture in Florida Art Deco synagogues Buildings and structures in Pensacola, Florida German-American culture in Florida German-Jewish culture in the United States Reform synagogues in Florida Religious organizations established in 1876 1876 establishments in Florida