Congregation Beth Ahabah, Richmond

Congregation Beth Ahabah, located on West Franklin Street in Richmond, is a Reform Jewish synagogue with deep historical roots. Initially founded in 1789 by Spanish and Portuguese Jews as Holy Congregation, House of Peace, it is among the oldest synagogues in the United States. At its inception, the Jewish community in Richmond consisted of approximately 100 individuals within a population of 3,900. After initially meeting in leased spaces, the congregation constructed its first synagogue in 1822, a modest one-story brick building in the Georgian style.

In 1841, Ashkenazi members founded Beth Ahabah in Richmond, which soon opened the city's first Jewish school and built a synagogue in 1846. Throughout the mid-19th century, the congregation embraced Reform practices, such as family pews, a mixed-gender choir, and plans for an organ. By joining the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1875, Beth Ahabah solidified its Reform stance.

In 1898, the congregation merged with K.K. Beth Shalome and continued to expand, leading to the construction of the current Franklin Street Synagogue in 1904. This Neoclassical structure, designed by the local firm Noland and Baskervill, features 29 stained glass windows, including a significant piece by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios depicting Mount Sinai.

Beth Ahabah also manages the Hebrew Cemetery of Richmond and preserves the original site of the 1789 Franklin Street Burial Grounds, Virginia’s first Jewish cemetery. Additionally, the congregation oversees the Beth Ahabah Museum & Archives, founded in 1977. Located on West Franklin Street, the museum focuses on the history and culture of Richmond’s Jewish community and the broader Southern Jewish experience, featuring changing exhibits in its three galleries.