Beth El Synagogue (São Paulo)

The Beth-El Synagogue (Portuguese: Sinagoga Beth-El; officially Portuguese: Congregação Israelita de São Paulo Templo Beth El) is a Reform Jewish congregation, synagogue, and Jewish museum, located on Rua Avanhandava, Bela Vista, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

[2][5] The synagogue building, completed in the Byzantine Revival style, was designed by Russian architect, Samuel Roder, at the request of local Jewish immigrant families.

[2] The synagogue plays an important symbolic role in different life cycle events for the Jewish community of São Paulo, including britot milah, bar and bat mitzvah and weddings.

In the 1960s, Beth El was also a local partner with the Israelite Federation of São Paulo State, in order to receive immigrants and provide job training.

While property values in downtown São Paulo have decreased, the museum project is estimated to invest 26 million Brazilian real into the community.

Born in São Paulo, Lam began as a liturgical and choir singer before moving into the rabbinate, serving as the leader of the Jewish community in Campinas, in the late 1990s.

A performance by the band Mazeej, formed by Muslims, Jews and Christians, was one of the highlights of the evening, and a lawyer was on-site to help refugees with their processing documents.

The synagogue and museum entrance in 2021, following its restoration