History Department

Though there is evidence of Jews living in Biloxi by 1855, there was no organized congregation until after World War II.  Observing the disconnected Jewish population of the Gulf Coast region, Max Signoff of Hattiesburg came to Biloxi and inspired them to establish a B’nai Brith Lodge.  The lodge was founded in 1953, which began the movement towards finding a building to house the town’s growing Jewish population.  Before they acquired their own synagogue in 1958, Jews of Biloxi observed Friday night services at Keesler Air Force Base, where there were often Jewish chaplains to lead them in worship.

In the 1950s, members of the Jewish community, led by Rueben Golden, Jack Golden, Abe Herman, Dave Rosenbloom, and Moody Grishman, set to work finding a building to support their newfound Jewish solidarity.  At one point, a plot of land was purchased, yet the Congregation’s finances fell short, and they had to sell the land before a temple could be built.  Moody Grishman saw and seized a new opportunity for a temple in 1958.  After one of the large and expensive homes of Biloxi was devastated by a fire, its owner offered to sell the land for only $8,000.  Though the building had been thoroughly damaged, $6,000 transformed it into a functional building, which was named the Jewish Community Center of Congregation Beth Israel.  The construction of the center was truly a group effort, with its success due to both the labor and financial contributions of all of the Jews in Biloxi.  The man who constructed the pews was used to creating pews for Christian churches, and as a result, there are communion cup holders in the Temple.  The ark and Torah were donated by a synagogue in Chicago.  At the synagogue’s dedication, Rabbi Charles Mantinband of Hattiesburg led services.  There were 200 people in attendance, including people from New Orleans and Hattiesburg.  Since its initial construction, rooms for a Sunday school, organized by the sisterhood, have been added as well as an additional wing. 

The fact that the Jews of Biloxi called their building a Jewish Community Center rather than simply a synagogue shows that they hoped to cater to all the needs of the Jewish community under a single roof.  Prior to construction of the building, the Jewish community of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, numbering about twenty families, had been isolated and disjointed; Jews in coastal towns were often ignorant of the existence of other Jewish families in their area.  The building was designed to create social and community bonds in order to bring the Jewish community together as both co-religionists and neighbors.  In the early days of the Community Center, they even hoped to build a swimming pool and tennis courts to help the children to socialize with one another.  Though Beth Israel has never had a full-time rabbi, they have flourished under lay leadership for almost fifty years.. 

The strength of the Biloxi community was tested in August of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina severely damaged their synagogue, which is located only a few blocks from the coast.  After much thought and discussion, the congregation decided to build a new synagogue on a new site in Gulfport far from the coast.  After the storm, the congregation initially held services in the chapel at Keesler Air Force Base. Though the loss of their shul was devastating, some old members felt nostalgic when they entered the Keesler chapel for the high holidays in 2005.  It was here that the congregation first prayed together.  Eventually, they were invited by the Beauvoir United Methodist Church to use their building for Friday night services.

In response to the disaster, the North American Association of Synagogue Executives chose to meet in Biloxi rather than New York City for their executive meeting.  The venue change was suggested by NAASE president Glenn Easton, and upon arrival the executives augmented their meeting with hands on service to the damaged buildings of Biloxi.  Easton’s congregation, Adas Israel, has “adopted” the Biloxi Synagogue, and has aided them by sending $10,000 in relief funds and Sukkot supplies.  The Northern New Jersey Jewish Federation had also made a significant contribution to Beth Israel’s building fund.  In 2009, Beth Israel dedicated its new synagogue in Gulfport, as the Jewish community has been a part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's revitalization since the storm..