The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) dedicated a new historical marker in Augusta on June 8, 2025, about the Congregation Children of Israel Synagogue, the historical home of the city’s first Jewish congregation—one of the oldest in the state. The historical marker was dedicated in partnership with the Augusta Jewish Museum.

Founded in 1846, Congregation Children of Israel (CCI) emerged during a wave of Jewish immigration to the United States, when families from Central and Eastern Europe sought refuge and opportunity. CCI’s establishment played a pivotal role in shaping Jewish life in Augusta and across Georgia. Originally Orthodox, the congregation later embraced Reform Judaism. Today, the congregation remains active and worships at its modern home at 3005 Walton Way in Augusta.

“The story of Augusta’s first and longest-active Jewish congregation reflects the centuries-long story of Jewish immigration to the United States,” said Breana James, Historical Marker and Program Associate, Georgia Historical Society. “The Georgia Historical Society is excited to partner with the Augusta Jewish Museum to dedicate a historical marker that conveys such a significant part of our shared past as Georgians and Americans.”

The original synagogue, built in 1869 at 525 Telfair Street, still stands and now houses the Augusta Jewish Museum. As the oldest surviving synagogue building in Georgia, it is central to the museum’s mission to preserve and interpret the cultural, religious, and civic contributions of Jewish communities in the Greater Augusta Region and beyond. Through exhibitions, public programs, and the restoration of two historic buildings, the museum fosters education and dialogue around Jewish history, traditions, and contemporary topics.

"We are incredibly honored to receive a historical marker from the Georgia Historical Society for the original Congregation Children of Israel Synagogue,” said Angela Russo, Museum Manager, Augusta Jewish Museum. “The original mission of the Augusta Jewish Museum, founded in 2015, was to reclaim and restore the historic synagogue, and after ten years, with the support of many private and public institutions, we are so pleased to have not only saved the building, but also begun to revitalize it into a future cultural center."