The first Jewish settlers came to Beloit before the Civil War.
There were few
Jewish people living in Beloit until the l890's. Then there was an influx
from Eastern Europe, especially Russia. Many Jewish people fled Russia,
because of religious persecution. Usually the husband immigrated first to
the United States and found a job. He would bring his wife and children when
he had saved enough money to pay for their trip. Most Jewish immigrants arrived at Ellis Island when they entered the USA. Many factories such as Fairbanks-Morse had men waiting to meet these new immigrants. Their job was to persuade the men to work in their factories. This is how many Jewish people arrived in Beloit from 1890 to l920. Relatives of these first settlers also settled in Beloit.
On November 7, 1907, 13 Jewish men established a Jewish Synagogue and named it Congregation B'nai Abraham. Religious services were in rented halls until 1918. Then B'nai Abraham purchased a building from Our Saviors Lutheran Church at 723 Oak Street.
The first wedding held at the synagogue was the marriage of Clara Furman and Harry Filveroff in 1924. Their daughter, Sima Wexler and Clara's sister, Sophia Furman, now live in Janesville. On one memorable day, in the 1920's three Jewish young men, Mike Putterman, Sam Kantor, and Emmanuel Kapitanoff had Bar Mitzvahs at the same time.
The Congregation had Sunday schools intermittently until 1950. That year Mollie Putterman became the principal of the Sunday School. Mollie devoted many hours building up the Sunday School enrollment and it thrived. Later in the 1950's a number of Janesville families joined the synagogue because of the Sunday School.
The building was remodeled in 1957 and again in 1967. Among the improvements were a new kitchen, a new furnace and the renovation of the sanctuary. In the early 1980's the heating system was switched from fuel oil to natural gas, ceiling fans were installed and the building was insulated. The cut down the cost of heating the building.
Originally the congregation was an orthodox one. Eventually it became a reformed synagogue. Right after the switch the now renown Deborah Friedman was hired as a cantor.
In 1986 the congregation decided to build a new building. Work was started in 1987 on the new synagogue located at 2400 Oxford Lane, Beloit, and completed in 1988. The ark and the pews from the old synagogue are being used in the new synagogue. The pews were in the building when it was purchased from Our Savior's Lutheran Church. The Sunday School was then named the Mollie Putterman Religious School in honor of all her work for the synagogue.
