Valley Heritage Driving Tour

New Life Community Church

A little farther up Elizabeth Street on the left is the New Life Community Church, which is one of the newest churches in Derby and the Valley.

The building was the home of the Beth Israel Synagogue until the congregation closed the building. That marked a major change in the life of the Jewish community in the Valley as it was the last synagogue in the Valley. Practitioners of the Jewish faith must now travel to surrounding communities outside the Valley to meet their needs.

Jews are shown on property rolls in Derby as far back as 1718, but it wasn't until 1918 that a synagogue was opened on Anson Street in Derby. In the mid-1950's the synagogue on Elizabeth Street was opened and served the spiritual needs of Derby and Valley Jews until its closing and sale in 1997.

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