Formally named The Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, Atlanta’s oldest Jewish congregation.

The Temple, formally named the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, was founded in 1867. It is Atlanta’s oldest Jewish congregation. Recently, The Temple was named by Newsweek Magazine as one of the most vibrant and dynamic Jewish congregations in the country. For a century and a half, it has built a tradition of social justice work and a commitment to broadening people’s access to a full Jewish life.

During the 1950s and 1960s The Temple became a center for civil rights advocacy. In response, white supremacists bombed The Temple on October 12, 1958, with no injuries. While arrests were made, there were no convictions. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor Ralph McGill’s outraged front-page column on the Temple bombing won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.

After having two other homes, the Congregation dedicated its current building in 1930. The building was designed by Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze (August 18, 1890 – October 17, 1982).

Shutze was born in Columbus, Georgia. He graduated B.S. in architecture from Georgia Tech in 1912, and Bachelor of Architecture from Columbia University in 1913. After winning the Rome Prize in 1915 he spent several years in Europe studying European architecture before returning to Atlanta to work for the architectural firm of Hentz, Reid and Adler. He thereafter designed many well-known buildings in the Atlanta area, becoming a partner in the company in 1927. He was particularly well known for his neo-Classical designs, The Temple being a particularly noteworthy example.