San Leandro's 'Little Shul' East Bay's Oldest Surviving Synagogue?

"One dollar may not be a great sum, but it figured greatly in the life of the Little Shul. That was the price paid by the San Leandro Hebrew Congregation in 1889 for the land at 59 Chumalia Street upon which the Little Shul was built. Again, many years later, $1 was paid to Judah Magnes Museum for this same building. Much had happened between the two payments." (Illene Bolter, in Wheeling through San Leandro.)

The San Leandro Hebrew Congregation organized in 1881 and incorporated in 1888. Trustees of the incorporation included J. Herrscher, Adolph Wimmer, A. Levy, David Ury, and D. Herrscher, prominent men of early San Leandro.

The congregation built a synagogue, now called the Little Shul, on Chumalia Street in 1889. For more than half a century, Sunday school classes and religious services were held in the Little Shul, which attracted Jewish families from throughout the East Bay.

In 1947 and 1948, the now expanded congregation hired a full-time rabbi, adopted its present name Temple Beth Sholom (House of Peace), purchased a new site on Dolores Street, and constructed a new and larger synagogue.

In 1952, the Little Shul was purchased by the First Baptist Church and then was sold again in the late 1950s to the Judah Magnes Museum of Berkeley. It was never used for museum purposes, but was rented out as a church meeting place and later a dwelling.

In 1970, Temple Beth Sholom paid $1 to the Judah Magnes Museum for the Little Shul and moved it to its present location behind the temple on Dolores Street. It was beautifully restored and is used today for services, classes, and special occasions.

Rabbi Manhoff has kindly consented to host a San Leandro Historical Society meeting in the Little Shul and will present a brief history of the Little Shul and Temple Beth Sholom of San Leandro.  Please join us for a general meeting on Sunday, May 19, at 1:00, at the Little Shul. The Little Shul is behind the Temple Beth Sholom at 642 Dolores Avenue. For more information, contact the San Leandro Historical Society at 510-969-0975, email sanleandrohistory@gmail.com, or visit our website at www.sanleandrohistory.org.