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History

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It took a lot of history and a lot of shuls to get where MMAE is today.

Moses Montefiore Hebrew Congregation was incorporated in 1888 and was originally located in a part of Southwest Baltimore known as Little Jerusalem. After a few short years, Emunath Israel joined Moses Montefiore and became Moses Montefiore Emunath Israel Congregation. Moses Montefiore Emunath Israel added an addition to a shul on Smallwood Street in 1897 and practiced from this location for the next 65 years.

In 1935, Ahavas Achim Congregation merged with the Montefiore congregation. Woodmoor Hebrew Congregation, which formed in 1957, then merged with Moses Montefiore Emunath Israel in 1962 and became known as Moses Montefiore Emunath Israel/Woodmoor Congregation. The congregation moved to Coronado Road in Randallstown, where they remained until 1998. 

Separately, Anshe Emunah, the Hanover Street shul, was organized in 1884 and incorporated in 1887. Known as the BIG SHUL, it was the first orthodox shul to organize a Hebrew school in Baltimore and was one of the three shuls that formed the Union of Jewish Orthodox Congregations of America. Elsewhere in Baltimore, Liberty Jewish Center was organized in 1953 and located in the Howard Park/Liberty Rd area. Its membership went door to door recruiting new members, some of whom remain in our Congregation today. In 1955, Anshe Emunah merged with Liberty Jewish Center. When Anshe Emunah merged with Liberty Jewish Center, the congregation was able to build a shul on Marman Avenue. The Hebrew school was founded in 1956 and was one of the largest in Baltimore at the time.

In 1961, Aitz Chaim Congregation, which was also incorporated in 1888 and originally located on North Exeter Street in Baltimore, merged with Anshe Emunah Liberty Jewish Center, becoming Anshe Emunah-Aitz Chaim Liberty Jewish Center.

In 1964, land was purchased on Church Lane in Randallstown and by 1966 the social hall and Hebrew school were completed. The shul held services at the police substation on Liberty Heights and Rogers Ave, with High Holiday services held at both the Liberty Theater and the synagogue’s social hall until the sanctuary was added in 1971. In 1974, Tifereth Israel merged with Liberty Jewish Center, making it Anshe Emunah/Aitz Chaim/Tifereth Israel (LJC).

In 1998, LJC acquired the Mercantile Club property and became LJC At The Falls. That same year, Moses Montefiore sold their building and in 2000 merged with Anshe Emunah/Aitz Chaim/Tifereth Israel, officially becoming Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation and residing at our present location on Rockland Hills Drive in Greengate. The name was later changed to Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Greengate Jewish Center and so, two major synagogues with at least eight branches spread throughout the history of Jewish Baltimore has brought us to where we are today.