Beth Israel Congregation (Kingston, Ontario)

Beth Israel Congregation (Hebrew: בית ישראל) is a Conservative synagogue located at 116 Centre Street in Kingston, Ontario.^[2]

It was designed by Joseph William Power, architect in 1910.^[3] It is the oldest synagogue in Kingston.^[4]

Beth Israel was founded in 1908 as an Orthodox Jewish congregation. The original synagogue on Queen Street was completed in 1910. In 1961, the current building on Centre Street was completed. Until 1960, most members were merchants or businessmen from central and eastern Europe. With newer members joining in the 1960s and 1970s from academic and professional backgrounds, the congregation split in 1975 and a Reform congregation was formed, Iyr-Ha-Melech, while Beth Israel remained Orthodox. In the early 21st century, as fewer families observed Orthodox practice, it became more difficult to regularly achieve a minyan for services. The congregation voted in 2012 to affiliate with Conservative Judaism and become egalitarian and membership grew to 150 families.^[5][6]