Jewish organization life at Gary formed in 1907 when the nine resident Jews met for communal prayer services in Philip Makatinsky's hayloft, and Rabbi S. Rappaport of Chicago was asked to complete the minyan.i The minyan subsequently became the Pinchas Ahavat Achim Congregation (Loving Brothers of Pinchas) and for the High Holidays that year, 1907, twenty persons gathered at the Makatinksy house for services.ii During the following year, 1908, work began on the congregation's first of four synagogues in Gary, and at Eight and Connecticut Streets. The Synagogue was dedicated six days before Rosh Hashanah 5669 on September 20th, 1908.iii This Orthodox congregation soon outgrew their Synagogue and a building fund appeal commenced on the eve of Yom Kippur in 1911. A new Synagogue, named, Temple Beth El, was dedicated on August 31, 1912. One of the Gary newspapers wrote of the ten thousand dollar building: "It stands in the ranks of the finest houses of worship, and has been declared by many to be the finest in the region."iv The Hebrew Education Alliance was formed in 1913 but eventually merged with Temple Beth El.v A building for the HEA was constructed next to the Orthodox Synagogue and dedicated June 2, 1918.vi The HEA building served as a local Jewish community center and its facilities hosted meetings of the Beth El Sisterhood, the Men's Club; Zionist Organization of America (founded in 1910); The National Worker's Alliance and eventually the Jewish War Veterans.vii A Reform congregation had come into being during Gary's earliest of years soon after Pinchas Ahavat Achim Congregation had organized. Harry Alschuler, William Feder, Louis H. Glueck and six other men gathered in 1910 to sign the articles of incorporation for a Reform congregation and Temple Israel was born.viii The congregation purchased at lot at 445 Adams Street, and the basement of the new Temple was completed by 1912 and the entire Temple was completed by 1917.ix In later years this congregation became the bastion of Gary's business community and when the renown local School Superintendent, William A. Wirt, needed to address this community he did so at Temple Israel and at the Presbyterian Church.x Temple Israel dedicated a cemetery in nearby Portage, Indiana on November 1, 1924 and which neighbors its sister congregations Beth El Cemetery.xi i Gary Post Tribune; May 20, 1965. ii Temple Beth El; Op. Cit.; Page 7. iii Ibid. iv History of Temple Beth El; Pages 7-8. v August, Gary; Op. Cit. vi Ibid. vii Ibid. viii August, Gary; Page 515. ix Workers of the Writers Program of the WPA; The Calumet Region Historical Guide; 1939; Page186. x Cohen, Ronald D. and Raymond A. Mohl; Paradox of Progressive Education: The Gary Plan and Urban Schooling; 1976; Page 127. xi Gary Post Tribune; May 20, 1956.

There are two "Congregations" that maintain or have the records for this cemetery:

Temple Beth Israel & Temple Beth-EL aka Congregation Temple Beth-EL

Temple Beth Israel direct phone #219-938-5232 and their email is [email protected]

Temple Beth-EL direct phone #219-922-0101; possible email address is [email protected]