Founded in 1882, Congregation Beth Israel's temple building was originally located at the corner of Market and Church (now 2nd) Streets. To make way for a post office building in 1904, the synagogue was moved to its present location. Fire destroyed the roof and damaged the contents of the building in 1948. The Torah scrolls were rescued by Harry O'Mansky and Isaac Walters and the building was rebuilt and dedicated a year later.

In 1883, Rabbi William Weinstein was brought from Alabama to lead the congregation. After his departure, laymen conducted the services for nearly a century before a full time Rabbi was hired in 1979.

Joining the Union of Hebrew Congregations in 1927, Congregation Beth Israel established itself as a Reform Congregation. Today the synagogue strives to meet the needs of the entire Jewish Community.

In 1987 a wing was added to the historic structure to accommodate the Religious school. Construction of a new building to accommodate the expanding Religious school, a small chapel and expanded offices was completed in 1996.

CBI Preschool was founded in 1998 by volunteers and CBI members Jan Dorman and Elayne Phillips to provide a warm, nurturing, and creative Jewish environment for young children.  The program started with six children enrolled in a three morning per week class.  In response to community interest, a daily full day program was established in 2000 and now serves over sixty children. In 2008, the school again responded to community interest with the addition of a kindergarten class for five and six year olds.

CBI Preschool and & Kindergarten values guide the beliefs and actions of the director, teachers, and committee members of the school on a daily basis. Our values are the fabric of our unique culture and are central to how we make decisions and how we understand who we are in relationship to each other, to our students, to their families, and to the larger community.

1. Appreciating Individuality: We teach respect and appreciation for each other’s differences while enabling a sense of pride in each child’s uniqueness.
2. Growing in Our Own Way: We are growing together and we are all working toward personal betterment, but we each have different starting points, rates of growth, and ways we grow.  We strive to help everyone move to the next step while acknowledging that everyone is different and the end result will not be the same.  Likewise, CBI Preschool & Kindergarten changes its pedagogy as we as individuals grow and change, always striving for improvement.
3. Fostering Creativity: We present opportunities to discover and imagine.  We encourage exploration and guide discussion, reaching beyond the apparent.
4. Awakening to Our World: We encourage awareness of self, others, and our environment, both in the classroom and the greater world.   We recognize the opportunities of each moment as they arise.
5. Building Meaningful Relationships: We promote the growth of relationships through teaching and modeling compassion, empathy, open mindedness, and respect.
6. Deepening Jewish Identity and Encouraging Jewish Living: Jewish values, customs and traditions are present in all aspects of our teaching.
7. Nurturing Community: We believe that the collaboration between teachers, parents, and children are an essential part of our environment.  We support each other not just as a school, but as part of a community.
8. Valuing Flexibility: We recognize that changing circumstances and needs require flexibility.  We aim to preserve our essential values without being rigid.
9. We take a Holistic approach to each child, to Judaism, and to the curriculum as a whole.