Venue Information

On December 2, 1979, a small number of Jewish families met in a living room to light the spark that would kindle the light of Judaism on Longboat Key.  That light would grow and become Temple Beth Israel.  With the guidance of retired Rabbi Albert Shulman of South Bend Indiana, the group met first in homes and then in the community room of the Coast Savings Bank, now Sun Bank, just down the street from our present location on Bay Isles Road.

As our numbers grew, we moved to the social hall of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Gulf of Mexico Drive.  We soon needed a rabbi to fulfill the needs of a growing congregation and invited Rabbi Philip Frankel, Rabbi Emeritus of Lansing Michigan, to be our rabbi five months each year.

In 1985, the time had come to erect our own home.  The generosity of our members exceeded expectations and our new synagogue was built without any future encumbrances.

When Rabbi Frankel retired, we were fortuna ...