Beth El Synagogue History

Beth El Synagogue was founded in Hightstown, New Jersey in 1911 by a group of Jewish farmers who met for services in each other’s homes. They built their first synagogue in 1937 on Franklin Street in Hightstown, in a structure that now serves as a union hall.

Established as an Orthodox congregation, Beth El began to consider becoming Conservative in the late ’40s and officially became part of the conservative movement in the 1960s.

Beth El moved to its present location in East Windsor in 1977, and in 1998 the Zaitz Education Wing was added to the building. It houses a full-time preschool, library, and religious school that meets twice weekly.

The synagogue has grown from the time when members still met at one another’s homes to pray until today. Click Here to read about the formation of Beth El Synagogue, written by Beth El member Lew Meixler, with thanks to Renee Cohen who wrote the first Beth El memoir.