 The congregation was founded as Beth Jacob in 1869 , by more traditional members of an existing Reform German Jewish synagogue , the Keap Street Temple . They objected to the installation and use of a pipe organ to accompany Yom Kippur services , which was forbidden by halakha ( Jewish law ) , and seceded and created their own congregation . The new congregation was formally incorporated on October 1 of that year , and first worshiped in a house . In 1870 , Beth Jacob purchased a 23 @-@ foot ( 7 @.@ 0 m ) by 95 @-@ foot ( 29 m ) lot at what is now 326 Keap Street ( than Tenth Street ) for $ 150 ( today $ 2 @,@ 800 ) in cash and a mortgage of $ 1 @,@ 050 ( today $ 19 @,@ 600 ) , and constructed a building there , at a cost of around $ 6 @,@ 000 ( today $ 112 @,@ 000 ) . Men and women sat separately , and the sanctuary had seating for 164 men on the main floor and 135 women in the gallery . Services were generally held only on Shabbat and the Jewish holidays . The first spiritual leader was Rabbi Dresser , and he was succeeded by Lewis Lewinski ( or Levinsky ) . 
