This collection documents over 100 years of Congregation Beth Israel's history from shortly after its founding up to the merger with Temple Judea in 1969. Official records are strongest for the earlier period (Minute Books from 1886-1950, Marriage Certificates from 1882-1935, Members/Dues Ledger 1878-1884). There are some membership and financial records for 1930-1959, and information on the congregation's Salem Cemetery (1895-1962), but the bulk of the remaining material consists of disbound scrapbooks (clippings, letters, tickets, bulletins, etc.) covering congregational news, events and activities for 1948-52. The collection also includes approximately 400 photographs of the synagogue, its religious leaders, officials and activities. Of special interest are the will of Hannah Henry, 1874 and Rabbi Aaron Messing's Catechism for Instruction in the Mosaic Religion for the Hebrew Free School, 1887 and 1900.

Beth Israel was founded in 1860 as the first conservative congregation west of Chicago. Its first building was on Sutter near Stockton. The congregation was in its fourth building at Geary and Octavia at the time of the 1906 earthquake. The cornerstone had been laid for a new building at 1839 Geary near Fillmore in 1905. The construction was almost complete when it was destroyed in the quake. After rebuilding at the same site they moved into their fifth and final building in 1908. The temple offices and religious school moved to 14th and Balboa in 1948. In 1969 Beth Israel and Temple Judea, a young Reform congregation, merged and moved into Temple Judea's buildings on Brotherhood Way. This was one of the first mergers between a Conservative and a Reform congregation. The cornerstone of the final Geary Street building and the contents of the enclosed time capsule were recovered when the building was dismantled in 1989, after a fire.

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