 Beth Israel is the oldest Orthodox congregation in the New Orleans region , and its most prominent . Though it was founded as early as 1903 , it traces its roots back to much older synagogues . In the mid @-@ 19th century New Orleans had a number of small Orthodox congregations of Eastern European Jews , generally " structured along nationalistic lines " . These included a synagogue of <unk> Jews ( Chevra Thilim ) , and two of Lithuanian Jews , ( one — Chevra <unk> Israel — following the non @-@ Hassidic liturgy , the other — Anshe Sfard — following the Hassidic liturgy ) . In 1857 , a congregation consisting primarily of Prussian Jews from Posen organized as Tememe Derech , " The Right Way " . As they followed the Polish rite , they were known as " The Polish Congregation " . 
