The History of Congregation B'nai Moshe
On September 2, 1911, nine Hungarian Jewish men came together with a dream: to create a synagogue that would carry forward their cherished European traditions. Though they were one man short of the traditional minyan of ten, they pressed on with faith and determination. They named their new congregation “Bait Eliyahu,” honoring Elias Einzig, a respected member.
The congregation first gathered in rented quarters and then a small home, quickly growing to seventy families. By 1917, they built their first permanent synagogue at Garfield and Beaubien in Detroit. Funds were scarce, and Mr. Einzig offered to sell the naming rights of the congregation to help ensure its future. The sons of Moshe Gunsberg stepped forward, making the highest contribution, and the synagogue became known as “B’nai Moshe” — the Sons of Moshe.
B’nai Moshe continued to flourish. In 1929, the congregation moved to a new home at Dexter and Lawrence in northwest Detroit, and in 1934 merged with the Detroit Hungarian Hebrew Congregation. By 1959, as members began moving to the suburbs, the congregation followed—relocating to Ten Mile and Kenosha in Oak Park. In July 1992, B’nai Moshe moved into its present home in West Bloomfield, and by 1997 had expanded to include a school wing. In 2011, Congregation Beit Kodesh merged with B’nai Moshe, uniting two proud traditions.
The History of Congregation Beit Kodesh
The story of Beit Kodesh began in 1958, when Livonia was just beginning to grow. A small group of pioneers started holding Shabbat services in the Clarenceville Central Elementary School. Soon, homes hosted services, and that year’s High Holy Day services drew 200 people to the historic Botsford Inn in Farmington, proving the need for a permanent congregation.
In 1959, the group officially became the Livonia Jewish Congregation. As its membership broadened beyond Livonia, the congregation changed its name to Beit Kodesh in 1990, proudly serving as the only Conservative synagogue in Western Wayne County. Over the years, services were held in many temporary locations: a farmhouse on Seven Mile Road, a tent at the Botsford Inn, Carpenter’s Hall in Redford, and a church on Six Mile Road. Finally, in 1971, the congregation settled into the Molly and Samuel Cohn Building on West Seven Mile Road in Livonia.
Beit Kodesh was blessed with dedicated rabbinic leadership. Rabbi Steinberg served in the early 1960s, followed by Rabbi Martin Gordon, who led for 22 years (1967–1989). Rabbi Craig Allen then guided the congregation from 1990 to 1998.
Read The Jewish News article about the Last Shabbat at Beit Kodesh
Together, the histories of B’nai Moshe and Beit Kodesh tell a story of resilience, faith, and community. From humble beginnings in rented rooms and makeshift spaces, to thriving congregations that came together as one, our shared past continues to shape a vibrant present—and inspire a promising future.