Mikve Israel- Savannah’s Cathedral Synagogue

Today, the Jewish population in Savannah is robust and prosperous. Jewish schools, synagogues, and study groups dot the city, filling it with vibrant culture and long-standing tradition. Looking at the enormous congregation today, it may be hard to believe that the Jewish community of Savannah once struggled greatly, facing discrimination at every turn.

On July 11, 1733, just five months after the city of Savannah was founded, a group of 41 Jewish people arrived at the provence. Until now, Jews were not allowed a house of worship or even an informal congregation, as it had been criminalized by the Roman Catholics that had England by the ear. When they were promised a place to live as well as a designated place to bury their deceased loved ones, they jumped at the opportunity. One of the men who arrived in Savannah was Benjamin Sheftall.

Mr. Sheftall promptly founded the Mikve Israel congregation, though without the funds to open a proper house of worship, they would have to make do. The congregation held worship in rented spaces throughout the city, as well as personal homes of the members. After a while, they were able to buy a small house on Ellis square in which they would hold worship and ceremonies. By 1874, they noticed that their congregation had grown beyond what that small house could hold. Immediately, they began drawing up plans for an official synagogue.

With President George Washington’s blessing, the first cornerstone of the synagogue was laid in 1876, before being consecrated in April of 1878. The oldest Torah to ever cross the ocean was brought to this synagogue, where it still resides today. As the synagogue’s congregation thrived, so did the public’s opinion of the Jewish citizens. Finally, the discrimination began to subside. By 1954, the congregation was once again too large for the synagogue, so they purchased more land to build even more worship and ceremony space. By 2002, they had added on a school and a museum, which houses the old Torah.