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JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000054

Oldest Synagogue in Continuous Jewish Use in the United States

Record holder

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim SynagoguePlace

Record value

Built in 1840

Country: United StatesAchievement location: Charleston, South Carolina, United StatesAchievement date: 1 January 1841Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Exterior of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina.

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim’s surviving 1840 synagogue building in Charleston.Warren LeMay / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC0 1.0

Official record definition

The earliest-built surviving synagogue building in the United States that has remained in continuous use for Jewish worship from its dedication to the present. Congregation founding date, older buildings that no longer survive, denomination, floor area, membership and seating capacity are outside the metric.

Measurement methodology

Documented building chronology and national comparison of surviving synagogue buildings in continuous Jewish worship

Measurement point: Dedication and uninterrupted Jewish-worship use

Record story

The Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina, is the Oldest Synagogue in Continuous Jewish Use in the United States. The current Greek Revival building was constructed in 1840, replacing a previous structure from 1794 that was destroyed in the great fire of 1838. Following its dedication in early 1841, the sanctuary has remained in uninterrupted Jewish worship use, with the achievement dated from 1841-01-01.

While Touro Synagogue is an older surviving building, its history includes interruptions in regular worship. Therefore, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim holds the distinct national record for continuous use. The U.S. National Park Service and South Carolina’s National Register documentation independently identify it as the country’s second-oldest extant synagogue and the oldest in continuous use. The Union for Reform Judaism also corroborates this national standing. The record measures the building’s uninterrupted history of Jewish worship since its dedication, not the age of the congregation, which was organised in 1749.

Media

Gallery

  • Distinct façade view of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue in Charleston
    A distinct identifying view of the synagogue’s Hasell Street façade.Warren LeMay / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC0 1.0

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
2 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The National Park Service states that the present synagogue was built in 1840 and is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United States. KKBE’s institutional history states that the current building replaced the 1794 synagogue, was constructed in 1840, dedicated in early 1841 and remains in use today.

Superiority evidence

The National Park Service and South Carolina’s National Register documentation independently identify KKBE as the country’s second-oldest extant synagogue and the oldest in continuous use. Touro Synagogue is older as a surviving building but experienced historical interruptions in regular worship, so it does not defeat the continuous-use metric. The Union for Reform Judaism corroborates KKBE’s national standing.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • History of KKBE — Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue — U.S. National Park Service
  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim National Register Documentation — South Carolina Department of Archives and History
  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim façade photograph 49330765257 — Wikimedia Commons

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim exterior photograph 49330075568 — Wikimedia Commons

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue

    Official recordU.S. National Park Service· 17 May 2019

    What this proves: States that the present building was built in 1840, is the country’s second-oldest synagogue and is the oldest in continuous use; confirms it still serves the Reform Jewish community.

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim National Register Documentation

    Independent publicationSouth Carolina Department of Archives and History

    What this proves: Documents the 1840 Greek Revival synagogue as the second-oldest extant synagogue in the United States and the oldest in continuous use.

  • History of KKBE

    Holder-controlled websiteKahal Kadosh Beth Elohim

    What this proves: States that the present building was constructed in 1840, dedicated in early 1841 and is the oldest U.S. synagogue in continuous use.

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim exterior photograph 49330075568

    Independent publicationWikimedia Commons· 18 October 2019

    What this proves: Provides exact-site depiction, creator/date metadata and a CC0 1.0 worldwide public-domain dedication.

  • Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim façade photograph 49330765257

    Independent publicationWikimedia Commons· 18 October 2019

    What this proves: Provides a distinct exact-site view, creator/date metadata and a CC0 1.0 worldwide public-domain dedication.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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