“In 1866, Congregation Beth Ha-Sholom, then known as the House of Peace, was established as an officially recognized religious organization. The charter began: ‘We, the undersigned, do herby certify that we have agreed to associate ourselves together for religious purposes under the following articles and conditions. First: The said association shall be known as The House of Peace. Second: Its object shall create the more perfect enjoyment of the Jewish Religion in which we believe.'”¹
~From an article in the 150th anniversary booklet, linked below
Founded in 1866, our congregation celebrated our 150th anniversary in June 2016! Click here to see the celebration booklet created for our 150th anniversary event.
- Click here to see the 125th Anniversary Journal (1991)
- Click here to read “Precious Herilooms: 125 Years of Jewish Heritage in Williamsport”
Additional information about the early history of Congregation Beth Ha Sholom can be found in the two-part article “Ninety-Five Years of Beth Ha-Sholom,” written by Benjamin Hirsh in 1961 and later published in the Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society. It is available for download here in PDF format:
You can also click the links below to listen to “Jewish History in Pennsylvania,” produced by Cynthia Berger, a radio series production of WPSU-FM (Penn State Public Broadcasting), used here by permission.
- The Oldest Jewish Congregation in Central PA (broadcast date 16 January 2008 – featuring Congregation Beth HaSholom)
- Thoroughly Modern Women (broadcast date 23 January 2008)
- The Aaronsburg Story (broadcast date 9 January 2008)
¹Handlin, Oscar. “American Jews: Their Story.” Antidefamation League of B’nai B’rith, 1974.