Congregation Shaare Tikvah, a Conservative Congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, originated in June 1965 through the merger of Congregation B'nai Jacob-Beth Israel and Congregation Aitz Chayim (formerly the Washington Highlands Jewish Center).
Looking back briefly at our predecessor congregations, we note that our beginnings occurred in 1941 with the formation of Congregation B'nai Jacob by Jacob and Sadie Levin and about ten other families in a store front on Naylor Road in Southeast Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, as a result of meetings held in the homes of Alex Halperson and David Weiner, Congregation Beth Israel was organized in 1944 in the River Terrace and Greenway areas of Northeast and Southeast Washington, DC. In 1951, the Congregation erected its own building at 3408 C. St. SE. Eventually, in 1958, the merger of the above two congregations took place, taking the name B'nai Jacob-Beth Israel and meeting at the C Street location.
The Washington Highlands Jewish Center (later to be called Congregation Aitz Chayim) was organized in 1946 by a group of people meeting in the office of Herman Sacks. They were concerned about the lack of a synagogue in the Congress Heights/Washington Highlands areas of Southeast and Southwest Washington, DC and adjoining Maryland suburbs. The Congregation first met in a jewelry store and then in a home before moving into their own synagogue at 141 Xenia St. SW in 1949.
With the movement of Jewish people out of the area, the merger of the two congregations became inevitable. The merger was effected in 1965 through the combined efforts of representatives of each congregation. Led by Gabe Kaye, President of B'nai Jacob-Beth Israel and Abe Hamburg, President of Aitz Chayim.
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