Venue Information

Temple B'rith Kodesh has a long and fascinating history which is superbly documented in Affirming the Covenant, by Peter Eisenstadt (1999), which is available for purchase in the temple office. It is an excellent book and well worth reading. Below is a brief summary of major events in the temple's development.

Temple B'rith Kodesh was founded on October 9, 1848 as an Orthodox synagogue with 12 members. It is the oldest Jewish congregation and the largest Reform temple in the greater Rochester area.

By 1894 the congregation had grown to over 250 members and a building was purchased in downtown Rochester. During this period, a gradual change from Orthodoxy to Classical Reform began.

When Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein became Senior Rabbi in 1926, the temple was located on Gibbs Street in the downtown area of Rochester. More traditional observances were adopted by the congregation, including:

The return from Sunday services to Friday night and Saturd ...