In 1907, Temple Emanuel was established as the first Jewish congregation in Greensboro. The synagogue was built for the city’s rapidly growing Jewish population, who needed a place for community and worship. Temple services were first held at a rented second floor of a grocery store on South Elm Street. In 1908, Temple Emanuel bought a former Friends Church on Gate City Boulevard (formally East Lee Street), and the Reform temple became an influential institution in the city. Some of Greensboro’s leaders served as the Temple’s founding members and funders. Notable families included the Cones and Sternbergers, who created successful textile companies, which employed large numbers of Greensboro residents. As these families established factories, they funded the building of stores, churches, community centers, cultural centers, libraries, and schools that are still an important part of the city today
In 1922, the congregation built a neoclassical-style synagogue on North Greene Street at the edge of Fisher Park. The Temple became a cornerstone of the Greensboro community by providing for US troops during WWII and developing charities to aid people in need. During the Civil Rights Movement, Temple leadership and members were active participants. Hosting the Greensboro chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, Temple Emanuel became an active supporter of community education creating Head Start, reading, summer, and breakfast programs for community youth.
As the city of Greensboro grew, so did the Temple. Eventually, the congregation outgrew the Temple’s North Green Street Location. When the Temple moved to its current location on Jefferson Road in the early 2000s, the congregation voted to keep the North Greene Street location and the Temple’s archive on the second floor. In 2007, Temple celebrated its 100th anniversary. At this location, they established a small community archive, preserving the history of the Temple and the Greensboro Jewish Community, with the earliest documents dating back to 1905.
To learn more about Temple Emanuel's History read:
- Kurt Lauenstein's Temple Emanuel Greensboro 1907-2007: One Hundred Years of a Unique Jewish Experience in the South (2007)
- To Honor the 75th Anniversary 1907-1982 (1982)
- The First 50 Years: 1907-1957 (1957)
~Sarah Anne Maske