01In brief
Congregation Kol Emes was listed in a 1994 Richmond Jewish community study as an Orthodox synagogue in the city's Central Area, ZIP code 23226. The survey identified it jointly as "Young Israel/Kol Emes," with its membership drawn primarily from ZIP codes 23226 and 23230. A 2010 recollection said Kol Emes had been Richmond's only congregation with a mehitza until about 1990. JewishGen records it as one of the congregations that used Beth Torah Cemetery.
02Overview
Congregation Kol Emes was classified as Orthodox in the Federation of Richmond Community Study's synagogue survey.[1] In the 1994 table, it appeared under the combined name "Young Israel/Kol Emes" and was placed in Richmond's Central Area, ZIP code 23226.[1] The same table reported that the congregation drew members from ZIP codes 23226 and 23230.[1]
03History
The study's synagogue table gives 1964 as the date Young Israel/Kol Emes began and says it had occupied its then-current location for 30 years.[1] A Jerusalem Post column published on January 5, 2010, reported David Springler's recollection that his great-uncle and grandfather, Abraham and Emil Dere, had founded Congregation Kol Emes "some 40 years earlier."[2] That recollection points approximately to 1970 rather than 1964, although the column did not provide an exact founding year. The sources do not reconcile the discrepancy.
04Demographics
The survey recorded 75 members in 1983, 68 in 1993, and 70 in 1994.[1] For 1993–94, it recorded no dropouts and two new joins.[1] The table further divided the 1994 membership into 68 family memberships and two single memberships.[1] The totals indicate a small net recovery after the decline recorded between 1983 and 1993.
05Religious Practice and Community Life
In the 2010 column, Springler recalled that until "some 20 years ago" — approximately 1990 — Kol Emes had been the only Richmond congregation with a mehitza, the partition separating men and women during prayer.[2] He quoted the founders' principle: "They said it was better to have a small shul with a mehitza than a large one without."[2] Springler said the principle inspired him to become one of the founders of Young Israel of Sderot.[2] The 1994 community study also counted six Jewish children in preschool under Young Israel/Kol Emes.[1]
06Notable Site: Beth Torah Cemetery
JewishGen's listing says Beth Torah Cemetery opened in 1950 and had belonged to an Orthodox synagogue that no longer existed. It identifies Kol Emes as one of the congregations using the cemetery.[3]
The listing also preserves conflicting ownership updates. An earlier statement attributed to Bruce Selznick, identified as president of Congregation Kol Emes, said the cemetery was owned and operated by Kol Emes.[3] A March 2005 correction attributed to Selznick as treasurer of Beth Torah Cemetery Corporation said that Beth Torah Cemetery "is NOT owned and operated by Congregation Kol Emes" and was instead owned and operated by a separate, independent corporation.[3]
Sources
- 1Berman Jewish DataBank, Federation of Richmond Community Study (Jewish DataBank), accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 2The Jerusalem Post, Grapevine: Perspective on Europe, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 3JewishGen, RICHMOND: Chesterfield County | Virginia VA | International Jewish Cemetery Project, accessed on September 26, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What was Congregation Kol Emes in Richmond, Virginia?
Congregation Kol Emes was an Orthodox synagogue in Richmond, Virginia, located in the city's Central Area, ZIP code 23226. A 1994 Richmond Jewish community study listed it jointly as "Young Israel/Kol Emes," with its membership drawn primarily from ZIP codes 23226 and 23230. The congregation was also recorded as one of the congregations that used Beth Torah Cemetery.
When was Congregation Kol Emes founded?
The founding date of Congregation Kol Emes is not definitively established. A 1994 community study gives 1964 as the year Young Israel/Kol Emes began, while a 2010 Jerusalem Post column reported a recollection that Abraham and Emil Dere had founded Congregation Kol Emes roughly 40 years earlier, pointing approximately to 1970. The sources do not reconcile the discrepancy.
How large was the membership of Congregation Kol Emes?
Congregation Kol Emes was a small congregation. The 1994 Richmond community study recorded 75 members in 1983, 68 in 1993, and 70 in 1994. The 1994 membership was divided into 68 family memberships and two single memberships.
What was the significance of the mehitza at Congregation Kol Emes?
Until approximately 1990, Congregation Kol Emes was recalled as the only Richmond congregation that maintained a mehitza, the partition separating men and women during prayer. The founders' guiding principle, as quoted in a 2010 Jerusalem Post column, was that it was better to have a small synagogue with a mehitza than a large one without.
What is the connection between Congregation Kol Emes and Beth Torah Cemetery?
Congregation Kol Emes was listed by JewishGen as one of the congregations that used Beth Torah Cemetery, which opened in 1950 and had originally belonged to an Orthodox synagogue that no longer existed. The cemetery's ownership was a point of recorded dispute: while a statement attributed to Bruce Selznick as president of Congregation Kol Emes claimed the cemetery was owned and operated by Kol Emes, a March 2005 correction attributed to Selznick as treasurer of Beth Torah Cemetery Corporation clarified that the cemetery was instead owned and operated by a separate, independent corporation.