Temple Beth El, a Reform Jewish synagogue located in Madison, Wisconsin, was founded in 1939 by seventeen men and women who felt a need for a synagogue dedicated to the liberal reform tradition in American Jewry. Early in 1940 they chose a recent emigrant from Nazi Germany, Manfred Swarsensky, to serve as their first rabbi. Temple Beth El was without a permanent home for the first eleven years of its existence and worshipped in such places as Baron's Department Store, Beth Jacob Synagogue, the First Unitarian Society, the Workmen's Circle, and the YMCA. During these years, however, members formulated plans to build their own synagogue. The Temple purchased land on Arbor Drive in Madison in 1948, construction began in mid-1949, and the new synagogue was dedicated September 10, 1950. The Temple continued to grow and had a membership of over 300 families by 1964. This growth forced the Synagogue to expand its facilities, and in 1965 an addition was completed which included an enlarged sanctuary, offices, an activities room, and a second kitchen.
Upon Rabbi Swarsensky's retirement in 1976, he was succeeded by Kenneth D. Roseman. Under his guidance the Temple has continued the educational and cultural programs initiated earlier. The religious school, Men's Club, and Sisterhood serve the religious needs of Temple Beth El's 400 families by teaching Jewish history and Hebrew and by staging concerts, lectures, and discussions on a variety of topics of interest to American Jews. Through these organizations the Temple also continues to provide a variety of services to the community-at-large such as aiding Operation Headstart and the Veterans Hospital, recording books for the blind, and other philanthropic and cultural causes.
