Our History

  • First Chanukah 1976

    First Chanukah 1976

  • Directory of Charter Members 1977

    Directory of Charter Members 1977

  • Our first Bar Mitzvah 1978

    Our first Bar Mitzvah 1978

  • Receiving our charter 1980

    Receiving our charter 1980

  • Bagel Boy! 1983

    Bagel Boy! 1983

  • First joint B'nei Mitvah 1983

    First joint B'nei Mitvah 1983

  • Sukkot 1983

    Sukkot 1983

  • Sukkot 1983

    Sukkot 1983

  • Our first Torah! 1984

    Our first Torah! 1984

  • 1984

    1984

  • 1984

    1984

  • High Holy Days 1984

    High Holy Days 1984

  • Second joint B'nei Mitzvah 1986

    Second joint B'nei Mitzvah 1986

  • Shabbat at Pilgrim 1987

    Shabbat at Pilgrim 1987

  • Re-Dedication 1989

    Re-Dedication 1989

  • Our Past

    Our Past

  • Replacement

    Replacement

  • New headstone 1989

    New headstone 1989

  • Baby's Grave  marker 1990

    Baby's Grave marker 1990

  • Friendship

    Friendship

  • Tu B'Shevat 1991

    Tu B'Shevat 1991

  • Tu B'Shvat

    Tu B'Shvat

  • First Adult B'nei Mitzvah 1995

    First Adult B'nei Mitzvah 1995

  • Half the B'nei Mitzvah

    Half the B'nei Mitzvah

  • Leslie Coburn

    Leslie Coburn

  • 1995

    1995

  • Adult B'nei Mitzvah

    Adult B'nei Mitzvah

   A Jewish presence in Shasta County was first evident in the 1800s, brought by the merchants who settled here during the Gold Rush Era. They formed the Jewish Benevolent Society in order to establish and maintain consecrated ground for burials. In 1872, the Shasta County Supervisors deeded land to them to establish a cemetery. This land, located on both sides of Highway 299 west of Old Shasta, now belongs to Temple Beth Israel. A State Historical Marker at the site identifies a Jewish baby’s grave: that of Charles Brownstein who died Dec  14, 1864, infant son of George and Helena Brownstein of Red Bluff. When the railroad was put through downtown Redding, the center of commerce and transportation shifted and the community dispersed.

   This land, located on both sides of Highway 299 west of Old Shasta, now belongs to Temple Beth Israel. A State Historical Marker at the site identifies a Jewish baby’s grave: that of Charles Brownstein who died Dec  14, 1864, infant son of George and Helena Brownstein of Red Bluff. When the railroad was put through downtown Redding, the center of commerce and transportation shifted and the community dispersed.

   Temple Beth Israel began with a luncheon of interested women in Shingletown. Their enthusiasm sparked a meeting of other families who organized the Redding Jewish Community Center on November 10, 1976. On April 25, 1980, the Center received a charter from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations* under the new name of Congregation Beth Israel.

   In our early days, we met and prayed in many places. In 1981, we began a 15-year relationship with Pilgrim Congregational Church as our center of congregational life. As welcoming as our friends at Pilgrim were, we longed for a place to call our own. In December 1996, we acquired our current building on Placer Rd, our Torah scroll and prayerbooks no longer had to be intinerant.  Shortly thereafter we changed our name to Temple Beth Israel of Redding.

 

 

*Now the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ)