Our History
Congregation B'nai Torah is a child born of two parents - The United
Hebrew Congregation and the Central Hebrew Congregation, which merged in
1957. The United Hebrew Congregation, founded in 1903, was the largest
and most influential of the many Orthodox synagogues on the south side
of Indianapolis. It boasted the city's first Talmud Torah as well as the
city's first Jewish Women's group. The Central Hebrew Congregation was
founded in 1923 by a group of Orthodox Jews who moved north. Its first
location was on Central Avenue at 21st Street, and its first rabbi,
engaged in 1942, was Rabbi Nandor Fruchter.
In the wake of the merger, the congregation, known briefly as the United
Hebrew Congregation received both a new building and a new name. The new
home was a three-building complex on 34th and Ruckle Streets; the new
name, announced at the building's dedication ceremony, was B'nai Torah.
As the Jewish community moved farther and farther north, the
congregation moved with it. In 1965, a tract of land on Hoover Road at
65th Street was donated to B'nai Torah by the estate of John Bauer. A
building campaign was begun immediately, and in April 1967, more than
800 people attended dedication ceremonies of the newly constructed
synagogue.
Over fifty-three years after its birth in 1957, B'nai Torah continues to
reflect the diversity of its parent synagogues, the wisdom of its
leaders and the devotion of its members. The largest Orthodox
Congregation in the state of Indiana, it serves its members and the
community with a modern Mikvah, a community Eruv, daily services,
Shabbat children's services, youth groups, educational and cultural
programs, and a spirit of genuine warmth and camaraderie.