143 years of Legacy: The Temple of Jacksonville, FL

For more than 140 years, The Temple of Jacksonville, has been a cornerstone of Reform Jewish life in Northeast Florida. Rooted in a rich Jewish tradition and shaped by generations of members, The Temple has grown and evolved alongside the Jacksonville community. Today, it embraces its ancient Jewish legacy while exploring new ways to find meaning, connection, and holiness in a modern world.

I would like to thank the esteemed Rabbi Glasser for her support.

 Religious Events

Congregation Ahavath Chesed, also known as The Temple of Jacksonville, invites the community to worship and connect through meaningful Shabbat services. Led by Rabbi Maya Glasser, the congregation’s services blend traditional and contemporary Jewish music with Hebrew and English prayers from the Mishkan T’filah prayerbook. Weekly Friday services are in person and livestreamed, while Saturday morning Torah study is offered through Zoom.

The community also gathers for Oneg Shabbat after services and periodically comes together for Shabbat Shireinu, special Friday-night dinners filled with food, friendship, and song. These gatherings reflect the congregation’s commitment to creating sacred spaces that are familiar, inclusive, and meaningful for everyone.

The Jewish calendar has bound the Jewish people together for centuries, providing a rhythm of tradition, reflection, celebration, and renewal. Each year, Congregation Ahavath Chesed approaches the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with reverence and reflection, followed by the joyful celebrations of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

These holidays offer a meaningful sense of completion while also creating anticipation as a new year begins. Beyond the annual cycle of holidays, the congregation accompanies its members through important life-cycle moments, from bestowing a child’s Hebrew name to offering final prayers of mourning. Its clergy and staff guide families through celebrations of joy, moments of covenant, and seasons of loss, remaining grounded in Jewish tradition, compassion, and community.

Congregation Ahavath Chesed also welcomes those exploring conversion to Judaism, providing a vibrant and inclusive environment where individuals can learn about and experience Jewish life. Rabbi Glasser meets with prospective students at the beginning of their journeys and offers guidance as they explore becoming part of the Jewish people. Through tradition, connection, and community, the congregation provides seekers with a meaningful sense of belonging and the opportunity to discover the joyful spirit of Jewish life in Jacksonville.

Music holds a distinguished and deeply valued place within Congregation Ahavath Chesed, serving as an integral component of worship and Jewish communal life. The congregation is privileged to have gifted clergy who share their musical talents and recognize the significant spiritual role that both traditional and contemporary Jewish music play in enriching religious experience.

The congregation’s musical life extends beyond the sanctuary and pulpit. The Friday Night Live Band contributes energy and vitality to monthly services, while the Temple Chorale offers a rich and harmonious musical presence during the Days of Awe, enhancing the solemnity and beauty of the High Holy Day experience. 

Community Service

Team Chesed at Congregation Ahavath Chesed reflects the congregation’s Jewish commitment to chesed, lovingkindness, compassion, and care for others. Through outreach to homebound congregants, greeting cards, support during times of loss, and seasonal deliveries of chicken soup and treats to more than 40 households, Team Chesed provides meaningful support to members of the Temple community.

The congregation is also developing a member-led transportation program to assist those who cannot drive at night in attending Shabbat services and Temple activities. Through the Max Block Food Pantry, members help address local food insecurity by contributing needed food items.

More broadly, Congregation Ahavath Chesed embraces tikkun olam through opportunities to deliver meals, support those in need, and express appreciation to first responders. Together, these efforts translate Jewish values into meaningful acts of service, strengthening community and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Education

Congregation Ahavath Chesed is committed to lifelong Jewish learning, providing opportunities for members of all ages to learn, grow, and deepen their connection to Jewish life. Its weekly Religious School serves as the foundation of youth education, nurturing Jewish identity, values, and a lasting sense of community. Through engaging Jewish and Hebrew studies, dedicated teachers, and meaningful hands-on experiences, students develop a strong foundation for lifelong participation in Jewish life.

The b’nai mitzvah is a joyful milestone marking a young person’s journey into Jewish adulthood. Through study, preparation, and participation in Temple life, students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to embrace their Jewish identity and take their place in the community. The journey culminates in a meaningful service celebrating their accomplishments and growing role in Jewish life.

Congregation Ahavath Chesed is committed to adult education, lifelong Jewish learning, offering year-round opportunities to deepen knowledge, strengthen connection, and enrich Jewish life. Programs explore Jewish history, language, traditions, values, and contemporary life in a welcoming community setting.

Each Saturday at 9:00 a.m., congregants gather to study the weekly Torah or Haftarah portion with the clergy, exploring the text through a Reform Jewish lens. Adult learning also includes Lunch & Learn sessions, interactive Zoom discussions with Rabbi Glasser and guest scholars, Scholar-in-Residence weekends, and Sharing Our Skills classes featuring Torah chanting, prayer-leading, and sounding the shofar.

The Wurn Family Library at Congregation Ahavath Chesed is a valued resource for Jewish learning and community life. Named in honor of Adolph and Clara Wurn, the library offers a diverse collection for research, education, and personal enjoyment, serving as an important Jewish literary resource for Jacksonville and the Southeast. The library is supported and maintained by dedicated volunteers. 

Culture

Congregation Ahavath Chesed welcomes families of all ages and strives to make the Temple a Jewish home away from home. Family engagement opportunities include special holiday services and celebrations, Tashlich, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Purim, and the popular Chanukah Bash.

Families also participate in tikkun olam through service projects, including delivering meals to Meals on Wheels recipients and bringing treats to first responders. Youth programming includes JAFTY, which brings Jewish teens together through friendship, fun, spiritual exploration, and opportunities to strengthen their Jewish identity and connection to the community.

For more than a century, the WRJ Temple Sisterhood has embodied the highest ideals of Judaism within our Temple family and the broader Jacksonville community. As an award-winning chapter of Women of Reform Judaism, their diverse group of women comes together to support The Temple, foster Jewish learning, build friendships, and serve their community.

Sisterhood has a long tradition of leadership, service, and social action. From home-baked catering and beloved Judaica Gift Shop to annual Donor event and Women’s Seder, the efforts raise funds and awareness for causes close to the congregation’s hearts. We support Camp Coleman scholarships, Hubbard House, our Religious School, the Temple Braille Group, Jewish Family and Community Services, local schools, animal rescue, and many other worthy causes. Through generosity, friendship, and a commitment to making a difference, Sisterhood continues to strengthen The Temple and the Jacksonville community.

Brotherhood brings men of The Temple of Jacksonville together through fellowship, social and educational activities, and meaningful service. Members enjoy breakfasts, dinners, outings, and sporting events while also supporting The Temple through maintenance projects, religious services, and Religious School activities. In the broader community, Brotherhood leads the annual Christmas Day Mitzvah Meals project, providing meals to those in need, and delivers home-baked treats to local first responders.

T3 at The Temple of Jacksonville brings together young adults in their 20s and 30s, including singles, couples, and interfaith families, for fellowship, Jewish connection, and community. Open to everyone, regardless of background, identity, or financial means, T3 offers a welcoming space to explore and celebrate Jewish life. Through Shabbat services and dinners, holiday celebrations, First Friday Services, Torah on Tap discussions, social gatherings, and social justice projects such as the Pride March, T3 creates opportunities to build friendships, strengthen Jewish identity, and become more involved in The Temple and the broader Jacksonville Jewish community.

Historical Backgrounds

Jews first arrived in Florida in 1763, when Alexander Solomons, Joseph de Palacios, and Samuel Israel settled in Pensacola. Under prior Spanish rule and the Inquisition, only Catholics were permitted to settle in Florida. The 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred Florida to British control, opening the area to non-Catholic settlers, including Jews.

Jews began settling in Jacksonville around the mid-1800s. In 1857, the Jacksonville Jewish Cemetery was established, marking the earliest documented Jewish institution in the area. By 1867, local Jewish residents were holding organized religious services in the home of merchant Charles Slager, laying the foundation for Jacksonville’s Jewish community.

Which brings us to 1882.

In 1882, the United States had 38 states, and Chester A. Arthur was president. It was the Gilded Age, a time of rapid growth and industrialization, with new factories, railroads, and steel production transforming the country. People traveled by steam train and horse-drawn carriage, while gas lamps and early electric lights illuminated growing cities. A postage stamp cost just three cents.

In 1882, Jacksonville was a booming Gilded Age winter resort and a major commercial river port, with a population of about 15,000 residents. Long before Miami or Orlando emerged as major destinations, Jacksonville was Florida’s premier winter getaway for wealthy travelers. During the 1882 to1883 seasons, nearly 40,000 visitors arrived to enjoy the city’s mild winter climate.

In 1882, Jacksonville’s Jewish community was largely made up of immigrants and merchants from Central Europe, particularly Prussia and Germany. Jewish residents quickly became an important part of the city’s civic life. Morris A. Dzialynski, a prominent member of the community, served as Mayor of Jacksonville during this era.

That same year, 1882, Congregation Ahavath Chesed, Jacksonville’s first Jewish congregation and the second in Florida, received its formal charter. Its members included immigrants, farmers, and teachers, Jews seeking a place to worship, build community, and preserve their traditions in a new and unfamiliar land.

Rabbi Israel Kaplan became the congregation’s rabbi in 1916 and, the following year, helped establish Jacksonville’s first Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. More than a century later, this beloved tradition continues to bring the community together.

The congregation’s next rabbi, Rabbi Sidney Lefkowitz, made history during World War II by leading the first Jewish service on German soil following the Nazi occupation. On October 29, 1944, near Aachen, Germany, close to the Siegfried Line and amid active artillery fire, Rabbi Lefkowitz conducted the service. It was broadcast by NBC in the United States and became a powerful symbol of Jewish survival and the return of religious freedom, the first public Jewish service held in Germany since Hitler’s rise to power.

For more than 140 years, The Temple has been at the heart of Reform Jewish life in Northeast Florida. As Jacksonville’s Jewish community grew and moved from downtown to Riverside, Avondale, and later Beauclerc/Mandarin, The Temple grew and moved with it. Our current campus on San Jose Boulevard was consecrated in 1979, and it has been our home for worship, learning, community, and growth ever since.

Congregation Ahavath Chesed has grown alongside Jacksonville’s Jewish community, carrying forward a legacy of faith, service, learning, and inclusion. From a small congregation of Jewish immigrants seeking a place to worship to a vibrant Reform Jewish community serving generations of families, The Temple has remained a place where Jewish life is celebrated and shared.

Today, The Temple of Jacksonville honors its rich history while looking toward the future. Through worship, education, social action, and community, we continue the journey begun by those early members in 1882, building a welcoming Jewish home and strengthening our commitment to Jacksonville and beyond. At Ahavath Chesed, it is their mission that everyone can experience the profound joys of Reform Judaism.

Contact Information:

The Temple Jacksonville, 8727 San Jose Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32217

Phone: 904-448-9285

Email: rabbiglasser@thetemplejacksonville.org

Website: https://thetemplejacksonville.org/