Jewish History in Alexandria

Old Town no longer is home to a Jewish synagogue. Celebrants of Hanukkah, which begins Wednesday evening, and other Jewish holidays, can worship in Alexandria at either the reform Beth El Hebrew Congregation on Seminary Rd. or the conservative Agudas Achim Congregation on Valley Dr. in Alexandria.

This marker is all that remains of the Beth El congregation that originally stood on North Washington St. In the 1950s, Beth El left that location where it had been since 1871 and built a new synagogue on Seminary. At the time of its move, the congregation's president, Leroy Bendheim, was also the mayor of Alexandria, according to Amy Bertsch, a spokeswoman with the Office of Historic Alexandria.

For those interested in taking a walking tour of Jewish Alexandria, please download the brochure on the right provided by the Office of Historic Alexandria and created by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.