It
is interesting to note, that this Community was actually organized in 1910 (98
years ago ) and was known as “Sons & Daughters of
Israel
”. Meetings and services were
held in rented halls and private homes.
In 1920 (88 years ago), the first building at
512 York St
,
Vallejo
was purchased.The Community was organized into the first formal
Vallejo
Synagogue. On
December
6, 1925, the mortgage on this building was redeemed.
On August 22, 1945 (63 years ago), the present property at
1256 Nebraska St
,
Vallejo
, was purchased. Ground-breaking
ceremonies were held on April 20, 1947
(61
years ago).
On April 11, 1948 (60 years ago), the present synagogue building was
dedicated.
The
community hired its first rabbi – Rabbi Sol Horowitz.
Its official name became
Temple B’nai
Israel
.
On April 28, 1957, the adjacent religious school building was dedicated.
On
March 9, 1958, the Social Hall was dedicated.
On
April 14, 1965, (43 years ago), the mortgage on the entire synagogue property
was redeemed.
The bare-bones recitation of these facts does not fully convey our awe,
gratitude, and admiration for the hard work, the dedication, and the foresight
of the community members who first started this Community 98 years ago, and
the members who took over and diligently worked to make sure that we, today,
have a beautiful synagogue and
buildings for our use.
The year 2008 marks the 60th
anniversary of the synagogue dedication.
A
celebration was held Sunday,
November 16th, spear-headed by CBI Sisterhood.
ALL TOGETHER FOR CONGREGATION B’NAI
ISRAEL
"...We
are very lucky to have had B'nai Israel built for us by prior generations.
Many people have sacrificed there time and money so that we could be here in our
beautiful temple today. Our members today continue to give selflessly. I am
grateful for all who work so hard to keep the temple activities going. And now,
on the night of my confirmation, I pledge to give back to others by contributing
my efforts to the Jewish community. I want to continue the tradition of hard
work so that our temple will still be here for future generations. If we all
contribute, even a little bit, we can, together as a community, create something
larger than ourselves for we are all responsible for each
other."
www. bnaisrael.com