For many years the Tallahassee Jewish community worshipped together at the Masonic Temple on Adams Street. A student rabbi from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, would come to lead the services for the High Holidays each year. By 1937, the city had grown to 16,000. There was no public hospital, and very few streets were paved. The Florida State College for Women had an enrollment of 1,500, and the Jewish community had no synagogue.

In 1937, some twenty-five Jewish families of Tallahassee met and organized to consider forming an official congregation and building a synagogue. They unanimously approved the founding of a congregation, and resolved to raise funds immediately for the purpose of building a house of worship. The organization, called the Tallahassee Jewish Community, Inc., elected officers Sam Mendelson, president; Albert B. Block, vice-president; H. H. Bluestein, secretary and Sam Robbins, treasurer. In addition, the following were elected to serve as a Board of Trustees: I. L. Eisenson, William A. Fleet, Ben Gilberg, Haskell Lippman, Sam Rosenberg, Louis Turner, and Sam Wahnish. In 1937, and again in 1938, High Holiday services were conducted by Aaron Wise, a student at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City.

In September 1938, the Florida Federation of B’nai B’rith Lodges adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a religious leadership program for the Jewish students at the University of Florida and The Florida State College for Women. The following month, October 1938, the State B’nai B’rith contacted the Tallahassee Jewish Community requesting the organization of a B’nai B’rith lodge in the city. On December 6, 1938, B’nai B’rith Lodge # 1043 came into being at a dinner at the Wakulla Springs Hotel. The meeting had been called so that the Tallahassee Jewish Community and the B’nai B’rith Lodge would have the opportunity to get acquainted with Rabbi David Max Eichhorn, who had been suggested to fill the position of rabbi for the local community and to be the Hillel director for both The Florida State College for Women and the University of Florida. At that time there were about 100 Jewish students at FSCW and 225 at the University of Florida. Both groups were pleased with Rabbi Eichhorn and engaged his services officially in a three party contract.

Also, in 1939, in response to an appeal from Albert B. Block, Mrs. Sarah Levy of Washington, one of the older residents of Tallahassee, presented to the congregation a block of land on Copeland Street from St. Augustine to Lafayette Streets, as a site for the proposed new Temple and community center. This was given as a memorial to her late husband, William Levy, who had come to Tallahassee in 1872 from Albany, New York, with his parents at the age of twelve.

On February 24, 1939, a Service of Installation for Tallahassee’s first rabbi was held at the Masonic Temple. Rabbi Edmond Landau of Albany, Georgia, conducted the Friday Evening Service, followed by words of greeting by Albert B. Block, representing the Tallahassee Jewish Community; I. L. Eisenson, representing B’nai B’rith; H. H. Bluestein, representing the community and Dr. L. R. Christie, representing the Tallahassee Ministerial Association. Rabbi Israel Kaplan of Jacksonville delivered the rabbinical charge, and Rabbi Eichhorn delivered the response. A reception for Rabbi and Mrs. Eichhorn was given by the Sisterhood under the leadership of Mrs. Ben Gilberg, President.

Ground was broken for the synagogue building on July 12, 1939. The name of Temple Israel was selected for the congregation. On October 12, 1939 the formal Corner Stone Laying Service at the new building was conducted by the Florida Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. This was most appropriate because the Jews of Tallahassee had conducted their religious devotions in the halls of the Tallahassee Masonic Lodge since just after the Civil War.

Finally, on February 23, 1940, exactly three years after the first organizational meeting, the new Temple Israel was dedicated.

Currently, approximately 380 families form our Temple Israel community.  Under the leadership of Rabbi W. Jack Romberg and Cantor Tanya Tamarkin, Temple Israel congregants pursue our community’s dedication to worship and spirituality, education, and social action.

Clergy of Temple Israel

Rabbi

David Max Eichhorn	1939-1943
Ernst M. Lorge	1943-1944
Alex Goldman	1944-1946
Ernst M. Lorge	1946-1947
Julius Kravetz	1947-1954
Louis A. Josephson	1955-1957
Abram M. Granison	1957-1965
Stanley J. Garfein	1966-2001
W. Jack Romberg	2001- present

Cantor

Tanya Tamarkin

2004 - present