[2][3] In 1866, a German immigrant named Samuel Ullman sought for the congregation to adopt Jewish Reform traditions that would include women and children, and his idea which eventually won out.

[4] in 1903, the Temple B'nai Israel was destroyed in a fire, and the congregation made plans for a new building.

[4] The architect of the present building was H. A. Overbeck, he had previously designed a synagogue in Dallas, Texas.

[1] The cornerstone for the building was laid in July 1904, and the space was dedicated on March 25, 1905, with Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise of Cincinnati and more than 600 in attendance.

[1] The new Beaux-Arts style building featured arched stained glass windows, a central dome, and an ornate ark made in Italian marble.