Congregation Beth Shalom was born in the spring of 1990 at an open meeting of 10-15 families from Brandon and the surrounding areas who were seeking to form a temple of their own. Like nomads in the desert, every meeting and every decision was made in various people’s homes. We had no real home of our own. Through much trial and error, hundreds of phone calls and tireless work, Beth Shalom was chartered, incorporated and became an integral part of the Greater Brandon community.
During those early times, we had to knock on doors and ask perfect strangers for the use of their buildings so we could pray and teach our children. We forever remain grateful to all of those who assisted us. After much fundraising and planning, Congregation Beth Shalom moved into our new home in September of 2000, just in time for the High Holy Days. It was a proud and glorious moment as we stood in our own building at 706 Bryan Road asking for forgiveness and expressing thanks for our good fortune. We stood in awe, facing our ark which houses our oldest congregant, our first Torah, inscribed in Poland over 200 years ago. It represents the lifeline of our religion and symbolizes our strong connection to the Jewish people. Our building houses our sanctuary, offices and classrooms for our religious school. It is both exciting and fulfilling to be an integral part of a warm, vibrant and inclusive congregation. Join us and share the experience.
