Our History
Our Story A Community Built Across Generations
Temple Beth El’s roots reach back to the early decades of Jewish life in Riverside. In the 1930s and 1940s, local Jewish families gathered through organizations such as B’nai B’rith and the Riverside Jewish Welfare Organization, building the foundations of a growing community. In 1944, six local Jewish residents established the Riverside Jewish Community Center and purchased a former church at 3559 12th Street, creating a shared space for worship, learning, and gathering.
Just a few years later, in 1947, that community formally established Temple Beth El as a congregation. From those early beginnings, members worked steadily to build a lasting home for Jewish life in Riverside.
In September 1964, the congregation dedicated its permanent home at 2675 Central Avenue — the fulfillment of a long-held dream and a milestone that reflected decades of vision, perseverance, and commitment from founding families who believed Jewish life in Riverside would continue to grow.
The timeline below traces the milestones that shaped Temple Beth El — from its earliest beginnings to the vibrant congregation we are today.
Temple Beth El through the years
