Dedicated on September 30, 1942, Temple B'nai Israel was the dream of the small Jewish community in Kokomo, Indiana. The leader of the movement to construct the temple was Max Gerber, founder of Gerber Plumbing Products.

In 1941, Max Gerber met with leaders of the Jewish community in Kokomo and was the driving force behind the building of Temple B'nai Israel. Even though the temple was not constructed until 1942, there are records of Jewish residents in Kokomo for a century prior to that. The earliest recorded Jewish resident was Samuel Rosenthal, a merchant in 1845, well known for his contributions to the community.

The members of the Board of Trustees of 1942 were:

1. •Max Gerber, chairman
   

2. •Irving Andich, co-chairman
   

3. •Isaac Hurwick, President
   

4. •Sam Kopelov
   

5. •Sidney Gevirtz
   

6. •Fanny Baum
   

7. •Abe Zaltsberg
   

Other associations connected with the temple included the Jewish Ladies Aid Society affiliated with the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods since 1931. The Sisterhood is still active within the Temple to this day. The Men's association, the B'nai B'rith was active within Kokomo until the 1970s.

With over 70 years of service to the Jewish population of Kokomo, the Temple B'nai Israel has remained the center of activity for our small, yet vibrant community.