In 1961, a handful of local Jewish families dreamed of a Reform congregation for the Durham and Chapel Hill, NC area. They combed the telephone directories, university faculty lists and community rosters to spread the news. They held services in their basements. When the group outgrew their homes, they borrowed the Quaker Friends Meeting House.
By the end of the decade, nearly 100 families were involved in this community, and in 1971, Judea Reform Congregation dedicated its own synagogue on Durham's Cornwallis Road. The community continued to thrive in this location for 30 years until it outgrew the building's capacity.
Our new home was opened in 2003, just up the hill from the original building, and includes a beautiful sanctuary, library, social hall, education building, and administrative offices. Today, Judea Reform Congregation is the largest Reform congregation in the Triangle. We are a vibrant and growing community of over 650 households.
