Temple Israel

Between 200 to 300 Jews arrived in Stockton during the Gold Rush period, which began in 1848. Founded around 1850, Temple Israel - Congregation Ryhim Ahoovim (which means "loving friends" in Hebrew) is one of California's oldest Jewish congregations. It wasn't an official congregation at the outset but rather an organization called the Jewish Benevolent Society. The first temple building was erected in 1855 on Miner and Hunter Streets. The building was moved in 1861 to avoid another incident of flooding. The congregation erected a new synagogue in 1905 and moved the building to a location on Madison Street in 1930. Finally, the congregation moved to its current location in 1972; the new synagogue was dedicated in December 1972. In 1892, the congregation switched from Orthodox to Reform Judaism. Temple Israel continues to be a thriving congregation today.

The formal organization of the first Jewish congregation in Stockton took place in April 1855; the congregation kept the same name as the informal congregation, Ryhim Ahoovim. The first president was Simon R. Rosenthal. The congregation considered renting a space for services but instead decided to build a synagogue. A 100-foot-square lot on the south side of Miner St. between Hunter and El Dorado Streets was donated by Weber. The temple was a wooden structure on a brick foundation and cost over $2,500 to build; it was constructed by late August 1855, only four months after the formal organization. The formal dedication took place on September 7th. The congregation consisted of 43 members who conducted their own services or were led by part-time cantors for special occasions.

The original building did not last long because part of the lot was prone to flooding; over a foot of water inundated the temple during the flood of 1861-1862. The original lot was sold, and the building was moved to a purchased lot on Hunter between Lindsay and Fremont where it was placed on a tall foundation. Several rooms were added to the building in later years, including one for a Sunday School in 1866. The building served the congregation until 1905.

Herman Davidson (born Herman Kantorowitz in Russia in 1846) became the full-time cantor for Temple Israel in 1876. He had been trained by his father, an Orthodox cantor. The congregation, which had always included some non-Orthodox practices (like having an organ played during services, accompanied by a choir of both sexes, some of whom were not Jewish), officially changed to Reform Judaism in 1892. The congregation went through years of struggles in leadership before hiring Rabbi Rudolph Farber in 1898, with Davidson as cantor. Later, conservative Jews in Stockton formed two new congregations, one of which (Ahavas Achim - "Brotherly Love") was led by Davidson; the other was Adath Yreshurun.

Temple Israel began building a new synagogue in 1904 on Hunter St.; it was dedicated in April 1905 on the fiftieth anniversary of the congregation's founding. The building was moved in 1930 to two lots purchased for a Jewish Community Center at Madison and Willow Streets. The temple was covered with a brick veneer to blend in with the new community center building. The Hunter St. lot was sold to the U.S. Government in 1931. To accommodate a growing congregation, the current synagogue was constructed in 1972, on part of three acres at El Dorado St. and March Lane. The acreage had been purchased from Weber's grandson in 1960 and became the site of new schoolrooms and an office building.

Temple Israel maintains the Temple Israel Cemetery in Stockton (a Stockton City Landmark), founded in 1851, and the Adas Yeshurun Cemetery in French Camp. The land for the cemetery in Stockton on Union St. was donated by Charles F. Weber, the founder of Stockton; the cemetery is the oldest Jewish cemetery west of the Rocky Mountains in continuous operation. Rabbi Jason M. Gwasdoff currently heads Temple Israel, a position he has held since 1993. The synagogue has recently been enclosed by a security fence.

"Our History." Temple Israel. Accessed February 6, 2017. http://templeisraelstockton.com/about-us/our-history.

Roth, Arnold. Stockton's Jewish Community and Temple Israel (The Early Days), Temple Israel: Extended History. Accessed June 18th, 2024. https://www.templeisraelstockton.com/about-us-1-1.

Williams, Ayanna. Stockton Congregation's Historic Jewish Roots, ABC10 News. March 1st, 2023. Accessed June 18th, 2024. https://www.abc10.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/to-the-point/stockton-congregation-historic-roots-jewish-american-heritage-month-to-the-point/103-7ea3c05c-8b31-49c3-83b6-7de9c28281f5.