Welcome Letter from Temple President

Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to the Upstate! Whether you’ve come from near or far, I’d like to be the first to personally welcome you to the greater Greenville area. You’ve picked a wonderful place to call home! While you may not expect to find a thriving Jewish community in the heart of the South, our community is growing each and every day as people just like you are discovering the Upstate’s charm and making Greenville their home.

The Temple of Israel, located at 400 Spring Forest Road, Greenville, is the largest of the Upstate’s Jewish congregations. We are proud to belong to the Union for Reform Judaism and have nearly 200 families that call our Temple their spiritual home. When I first moved to Greenville, I never could have imagined that I would become President of our Temple just a few years later. However, the warmth and kindness of our Temple family drew me in, and I was impressed by the incredible diversity our congregation offers.

Our member families include both young families and retirees, and our Religious School is the largest of the Upstate. Reflecting the diversity of Jewish families today, approximately 40 percent of our congregation is made up of interfaith families. Our members include people of all ages, races, backgrounds, and means, and we all come together in our Sanctuary each Friday night. I hope you’ll join us for our weekly Shabbat services or one of our special events when you get settled! You can find a complete event calendar, membership information, and more about the Temple of Israel on this website.

We hope that you love living in the Upstate of South Carolina as much as we do! Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about local Jewish life or the area in general. I’m happy to answer one burning question in advance, though – where to find the best bagels! The answer is Greenfield’s Bagels, with locations on Verdae Boulevard and Coffee Street in Greenville and Suber Road in Greer. Owned by Temple of Israel congregant Robin Greenfield, Greenfield’s is the place to go for bagels, lox, brisket, and more. Please enjoy your first bagel on the house, courtesy of Robin herself!

We hope to see y’all at the Temple very soon.

Best,

Danielle Cemprola

Temple of Israel President