The first Jewish community in Savannah began in 1733 with gatherings for services and meetings in private homes. The construction of this magnificent neo-Gothic synagogue in 1878 replaced a wooden structure that had been destroyed by fire in 1829. It was designed by Henry G. Harrison, a New York architect in the fashionable Victorian era architectural style. Open to tours during the week, Mickve Israel features a historic cemetery and museum which contains ten original letters from United States presidents, including George Washington, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. - Natasha Lawrence
