Temple Beth-El Celebrates 120 Years with Gala Event
The evening will also celebrate the Kurt & Tessye Simon Foundation’s 50th Anniversary
The year 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of Temple Beth-El. Temple is going all out with a gala celebration to mark this occasion, and we hope you will be there!
On Saturday, May 31, 6-10 p.m., Temple will throw a party featuring the Maxwell House Klezmer band from Chicago, with hors d’oeuvres and a bit of bubbly too. The party will be held at the Jewish Federation and all past and present Temple members and their friends throughout the Jewish community are invited to attend. Reservations are a must to make sure we have food for everyone. Watch your emails for more details about how to make reservations and when the cutoff date will be.
On January 9, 1905, a meeting was called by Simon Greenebaum, Sam Adler, and Samuel Spiro for the purpose of “completing the organization for a new Jewish Congregation.” That new congregation—Temple Beth-El—held its first worship services on January 22, 1905, and on March 6, 1906, just over a year after the organizational meeting, the Taylor Street building was dedicated. As early as 1909, Temple Beth-El became affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism). That relationship continues today.
By the middle of the 20th Century, Temple Beth-El had outgrown its original Taylor Street home. In May 1950, a new sanctuary and community room were dedicated. In the following years, the Temple facilities expanded to include a small Chapel, two libraries, a modern lounge, and the Kurt & Tessye Simon Education Center, which contained large and modern classroom space for Temple’s thriving Religious School.
After more than 70 years in its beautiful home on Lafayette Street, Temple sold the building and now occupies rented office space on McKinley and shares the Jewish Federation building for religious services and events. Temple’s future includes a new building – hopefully soon!
The celebration is shared by the Kurt and Tessye Simon Foundation of Temple Beth-El, which is commemorating its 50th birthday in 2025 as well. Founded through the beneficence of Temple members Kurt and Tessye Simon, the Foundation has provided educational opportunities for adults throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish community. Over the fifty years of its existence, the Simon Foundation has sponsored educational and entertaining programs of the highest caliber at no charge.
Temple Beth-El looks forward to continuing and building upon the dedication of those lay leaders and rabbis who have enabled Temple Beth-El to provide a strong Reform Jewish presence in the South Bend area. Here’s to the future!
Marzy Bauer
President, Kurt & Tessye Simon Foundation of Temple Beth-El