Tags: Religious Building.
Temple Israel is the oldest synagogue in Columbus Ohio and a founding member of the Union for Reform Judaism. Formed as early as 1846 as the Orthodox Bene Jeshurun congregation its first religious leader was Simon Lazarus a clothing merchant who founded what would become Lazarus department stores.Differences between traditionalists and reformers led to a split in 1868 and re-merger in 1870 as the Reform B’nai Israel (later Temple Israel).