Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1860 as the first conservative congregation west of Chicago. Its first building was on Sutter near Stockton, and the congregation was at Geary and Octavia during the 1906 earthquake. The quake destroyed a new site on Geary at Fillmore, which was rebuilt in 1908. The temple offices and religious school moved to 14th Ave. and Balboa in 1948. The congregation also ran the Salem Memorial Cemetery, which was relocated to Colma after the earthquake.
Temple Judea (known as the "Temple on Brotherhood Way”), began in the 1950’s with families meeting in private homes in the “Westlake” area of Daly City, (a then vibrant Jewish neighborhood).
When the families expanded and could no longer meet in homes, services, were held at a small church in the Lakeshore area of San Francisco (near Stonestown). Religious school classes were held in bungalows built on a site on South Mayfair Drive (at John Daly Blvd.), where Lyons restaurant eventually was built.
In 1962, Rabbi Herbert Morris z"l was hired by Temple Judea.
In 1964, (after 11 years) Temple Judea opened its doors on what was then Stanley Drive (now Brotherhood Way). Judea was the first reform temple to be built in San Francisco in over 100 years.
In 1969, a merger between Conservative Congregation Beth Israel (which was then located on Geary Street in San Francisco) and Temple Judea took place and became what is now Congregation Beth Israel-Judea.
In 1998, Rabbi Morris retired and the congregation hired Rabbi Evan Goodman, who previously officiated at Congregation Beth El of San Mateo, Calif.
In 2001, the congregation entered into an innovative and unique agreement to share land and educational facilities with our neighbor, the Brandeis Hillel Day School. BHDS uses the congregation's beautiful sanctuary for services and events, while our religious school students hold classes in the new educational facility.
In 2004, the congregation sold Salem Cemetery to a consortium of Temple Emanuel and Sherith Israel.
In 2006, Rabbi Rosalind Glazer, ordained by the Reconstructionist seminary is welcomed by the congregation.