The first Jews arrived in Birmingham in 1873. They were attracted there by potential business opportunities in this burgeoning
coal and
ore center of the South. In 1881, a dozen families gathered for the first
Rosh Hashanah services which were held in a private home. The 1880s saw a great influx of Jewish newcomers to Birmingham. In 1882, Temple Emanu-El was formally incorporated. With a membership of 100 families, the
Reform congregation dedicated its first synagogue building in 1889. An embryonic
Orthodox congregation, Knesseth Israel, erected its first synagogue in 1903 to serve the large number of immigrants coming from
Eastern Europe. The third synagogue in Birmingham, Temple Beth-El, was chartered in 1907 as a second Orthodox-affiliated congregation. This group became a part of the Conservative movement in 1944. Temple Beth-El's current
sanctuary was built in 1926 and the facility is located at 2179 Highland Avenue on the Southside of Birmingham. Renovations in the 1990s added a cultural center and classrooms, and further renovations were completed in the 2000s (decade) to the sanctuary,
chapel, and social hall. Temple Beth-El is one of the few Conservative synagogues in the United States to have its own
mikvah. at Temple Beth-El. Currently, Temple Beth-El serves approximately 600-700 Jewish families in the Birmingham area. Other affiliations include a chapter of Sisterhood (affiliated with the national Women's League for Conservative Judaism), a Men's Club (affiliated with the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs) and youth groups active within the umbrella organization
United Synagogue Youth.
Hillel Norry served as interim rabbi from June 2021 until July 2022. Rabbi Steven Henkin was installed in January 2024. ==Involvement in the Civil Rights era==