Our History
The history of the Jewish community in Roanoke began in 1889, when eighteen families formed a congregation called Temple Emanuel. The congregation initially met in an upstairs room on Henry Street, welcoming the leadership of Rabbi Theodore F. Joseph in 1898. In 1905, Temple Emanuel purchased the United Brethren Church on Franklin Road. Here the forerunner of the Sisterhood, called the Temple Guild, was organized in 1906, followed by a men’s club in 1928.
First building erected by Temple Emanuel, 1937
Temple Emanuel moved to its first new building, on McClanahan Street, in 1937. In 1959, the congregation, by then about 100 families, moved again to its current site on Persinger Road. Since then Temple Emanuel has grown and thrived, with many changes taking place both at the Temple and in the movement of Reform Judaism to which we belong.
Groundbreaking at Persinger Road, 1958
Prior to the mid-1960’s, Temple Emanuel was a purely classical Reform congregation. Little Hebrew was used during worship, and the music was provided by a soloist and choir. This began to change in 1968 when the services of Cantor Allen S. Levin were added on a full-time basis. Cantor Levin enriched the Temple’s musical repertoire with more traditional melodies and a magnificent voice, while also encouraging congregational participatory singing. A second major change took place from 1975 to 1980, when the Union Prayer Books were replaced by the Gates of Prayer
and Gates of Repentance, providing more traditional forms and more prayers in Hebrew. The congregation later adopted the Mishkan T’filah prayer book, which is in use today.
The Roanoke Jewish Community Council—now the Roanoke Jewish Federation (RJF)—was established in 1981 to further the welfare of the local Jewish community. A cooperative venture between Temple Emanuel and Beth Israel Synagogue, the RJF plans for the philanthropic, social, cultural, educational and religious advancement of the community through innovative programs and philanthropic drives and distributions.
Jewish Community Preschool children learn sign language
As Temple Emanuel’s congregation grew, youth education and programming became a priority. A Sunday School was established in 1979, evolving into Temple Emanuel’s Shalom School today. The Shalom School teaches holidays, life cycles and history through a value-based curriculum with an emphasis
on living a Jewish life. Programming continues in the summer with the popular two-week Kayitz camp, which means "summer" in Hebrew, and is a two-week day camp held at Temple Emanuel for children from pre-K through 5th grade.The Jewish Community Preschool, founded in 2005, welcomes all Jewish preschoolers as well as non-Jewish children, and has become one of the most sought-after preschools in Roanoke.
SCOTTY, the senior youth group for grades 8-12, is a wonderful community of Jewish teens who come together around social action projects under the umbrella of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY-MAR). And since 2006, the Temple has been sending its older high school students on the life-changing March of the Living trip to Poland and Israel. Thanks to the generous support of numerous individuals and organizations, the Temple is able to sponsor most of the trip for its students.
Adult programming and education at the Temple have also blossomed. The Chailites, the Temple choir, was founded in 1994 and continues to enhance the religious and
cultural experience of the congregation under the direction of Cantor Amanda Edmonson. A rich array of adult educational offerings includes an annual 23-session course on basic Judaism, weekly Torah study, a Tuesday evening series of speakers and discussion topics, adult Hebrew classes, and adult b’nai mitzvahs. In 2003, the long-standing Temple Emanuel Sisterhood was joined by the Temple Emanuel Brotherhood. The Sisterhood and Brotherhood provide fellowship and active support for all forms of Jewish life at the Temple, from food and special events to landscaping and support for youth programs.
Cantor Amanda Edmonson
“Behind the Silence" - Music and art that survived the Holocaust
Temple Emanuel has flourished during Rabbi Kathy Cohen’s 28 years of spiritual and community leadership. Today’s membership stands at about 160 families. Following a major renovation in 2002, the Temple facility is both beautiful and functional, with a lovely sanctuary, wide array of classrooms, youth lounge, libraries, administrative offices, large social hall and kitchen, and high-quality playground.
A gift of land dating to 1894 serves as a well-endowed and maintained Jewish community cemetery. The work of Cantor Edmonson provides wonderful enrichment for services and programs throughout the year, the Shalom School and Jewish Community Preschool are growing, adult education and community outreach are thriving, and the Temple continues to attract new families. On solid ground, Temple Emanuel embraces its past while looking forward to the new opportunities and challenges in its congregation and community.