The Jewish Congregation of Maui has come a long way from the days when we were a small collection of Jews from various backgrounds meeting together on the beach and other locations. In 1991, that group committed to stabilizing our presence on Maui and acquired non-profit status and incorporation for The Jewish Congregation of Maui. Since then, we pulled our Rabbi away from his passion of whales and ignited his fervor for the eclectic community of Jews that not only resides on Maui, but visits throughout the year from locations around the world.

We would like to invite you on a stroll down memory lane for just a bit. It is fun to see how far we have come. As mentioned, we started out meeting on the beach and community centers, which was wonderful for that time. However, in 1998, with the help of dedicated members, we purchased a building which allows us to hold our services and host events.

In 1999, the Hebrew school also settled into our permanent home where our keiki (little ones) are nurtured in their Jewish heritage. We now have 22+ regular students. In 2010 alone, our school grew by seven students!

Each year we offer a variety of Jewish educational experiences. In recent years we offered our first Judaism 101 class, in conjunction with the American Jewish University. We also offer a class in Israel advocacy guided by The David project that is sponsored by the Avi Chai Foundation.

Visitors have found the atmosphere at Beit Shalom to be a welcome spiritual addition to their exciting trip to Maui. Remarks are often made exclaiming how “Heimish” or “family-like” their experience was. For many people, their visit to JCM was a highlight of their trip.

These are just a few of the things the Jewish Congregation of Maui has been up to. We want to thank all of you for being a part of our community. You are the reason we do what we do. We celebrate each day with you.