Congregation Mickve Israel Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Congregation Mickve Israel
Mickve Israel synagogue, in 2022
Religion
Affiliation	Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Robert Haas
Status	Active
Location
Location	20 East Gordon Street (also listed as 428 Bull Street), Monterey Square, Savannah, Georgia
Country	United States
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Architecture
Architect(s)	Henry G. Harrison
Architectural type	Synagogue
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Date established	1733 (as a congregation)
Completed	1820 (Liberty St. #1) 1841 (Liberty St. #2) 1878 (E. Gordon St.)
Materials	Gilded gold, marble, ivory

Congregation Mickve Israel is a Jewish congregation and synagogue located in Savannah, Georgia. Its name comes from Hebrew and means "Congregation for the Hope of Israel." This synagogue follows Reform Judaism, a modern branch of Judaism. It also has a museum about Jewish history.

The congregation started in 1735. It was founded by Jewish immigrants from London. They arrived in the new colony of Georgia in 1733. This makes it one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States. The building you see today was finished in 1878. It is built in the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old European churches. The synagogue is an important historical site. It is part of the National Register of Historic Places.

History of Mickve Israel
Visiting the Synagogue
Gallery
See also

History of Mickve Israel

How the Congregation Began

Side view of the synagogue building.

A historical marker outside the synagogue.

The congregation officially began in July 1735. It was called Kahal Kadosh Mickva Israel. This means "The Holy Congregation, the Hope of Israel." Soon after, they rented a building to use as a synagogue.

The first members were part of a group of 42 Jewish people. They sailed from London and arrived in Savannah in July 1733. This was just a few months after the Georgia colony was founded. Most of these settlers were Sephardic Jews. They had left Spain and Portugal to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Many had been members of a synagogue in London. Rich Jewish people in London helped pay for their journey. The founders brought a special Sefer Torah with them. This holy scroll is still used today on important days.

In 1742, during a war, Spanish troops landed nearby. Most Sephardic Jews left Savannah because they were afraid. Only the Abraham Minis and Sheftall families stayed. They were Ashkenazi Jews. They stopped using the rented synagogue. Instead, they held services at Benjamin Sheftall's home.

By 1774, more Jewish people had returned to Savannah. The congregation was formally started again. They met in a room prepared by Mordecai Sheftall. During the American Revolutionary War, formal services stopped. But in 1786, the congregation was reorganized. They rented a new space. The Governor of Georgia gave them an official charter in 1790. This charter still guides the congregation today.

In 1793, the congregation had trouble paying rent. They gave up their leased space. Services were held in members' homes. But the congregation kept its official structure and leaders.

In 1997, an old recipe was found from the congregation. It was for charoset, a sweet paste eaten during Passover Seder. The recipe was from 1794. It described charoset as a "compound formed of almonds, apples, & C. Worked up to the consistence of lime."

Congregation Mickve Israel was the first Jewish community to get a letter from a U.S. President. The congregation's president, Levi Sheftall, wrote to George Washington. He congratulated Washington on becoming the first President. Washington wrote back, saying:

... May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivering the Hebrews from their Egyptian Oppressors planted them in the promised land - whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation - still continue to water them with the dews of heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah.

First Synagogue Buildings

In 1818, Moses Sheftall and Jacob De la Motta helped build a synagogue. The city of Savannah gave the congregation land for it. A small wooden building was built. It was on Liberty and Whitaker streets. It opened on July 21, 1820. This was the first synagogue ever built in Georgia.

A fire destroyed this building in 1829. But the congregation saved its holy Torah scrolls. Moses Sheftall led the effort to rebuild. A new brick building was built on the same spot. It was dedicated in 1841. Today, a bronze plaque marks where these buildings once stood.

In 1853, Reverend Jacob Rosenfeld became the congregation's first full-time spiritual leader. He served until 1862. For many years after, members led services. Then, in 1873, Reverend A. Harris was hired.

Becoming a Reform Synagogue

Mickve Israel kept its traditional Portuguese customs for a long time. But in the 1800s, Reform Judaism became more popular in the U.S. Mickve Israel slowly began to change. In 1868, they added a choir with musical instruments. They also stopped observing the second day of some Jewish holidays.

Rabbi Isaac P. Mendes suggested gradual changes. He led the congregation for 27 years, starting in 1877. For example, in 1880, they stopped requiring a chuppah (wedding canopy) at weddings. In 1894, wearing a head covering was no longer required.

Until 1895, the congregation used a traditional Portuguese prayer book. Then they published their own. In 1902, they adopted the Union Prayer Book. Mickve Israel officially joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (Reform) in 1904. A small part of their Sephardic tradition remains. They still sing "El Norah Alilah" during the Ne'ila service on Yom Kippur.

The Current Building

An illustration from 1890 showing the current Gothic Revival building.

Savannah's Jewish population grew. The congregation needed a bigger building. They started building the current synagogue on March 1, 1876. The building was designed by Henry G. Harrison, an architect from New York. He designed it in the Gothic Revival style. This style often looks like old Christian churches. The building has a unique tower. It is topped with an open, gazebo-like structure called a belvedere.

An unused part of the synagogue's land was sold. This land had been set aside for a cemetery in 1773. Another part of the land was used for the Mordecai Sheftall Memorial in 1902. This building had meeting rooms and a religious school.

In 1933, many Jewish and Christian people gathered at the synagogue. They celebrated 200 years since Jews first arrived in Georgia.

As the congregation grew, the Mordecai Sheftall Memorial building became too small. A larger replacement was dedicated in 1957. In 2003, more changes were made to this building. It now houses the congregation's museum, library, shop, religious school, offices, and a banquet hall.

Visiting the Synagogue

The synagogue is in the Savannah Historic District. You can take tours on weekdays. Tours are not available on Jewish holidays, federal holidays, or St. Patrick’s Day. The tour lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. There is a fee of $10 per person.