The congregation Kehilath Anshe Maarav ( Congregation of the Men of the West ) was founded on November 3 , 1847 at the wholesale dry-goods store of Levi Rosenfeld and Jacob Rosenberg located at 155 Lake Street by twenty men , many of whom hailed from Bavaria . At the time , this section of the Chicago Loop was the center of the small Chicago Jewish community . The newly founded congregation was first housed above Rosenfeld and Rosenberg 's store at Lake and Wells street . After increasing membership and lack of space , the congregation was soon forced to find a more suitable space to accommodate their growing community . A lot was leased at Clark and Quincy streets ( now the site of the Kluczynski Federal Building ) , and construction of a small frame synagogue began . After an investment of $ 12,000 , the one and a half story building , with a capacity of 450 people , was dedicated on June 13 , 1851 . After only two years , their land lease had expired , forcing the congregation to move the new building to Adams and Wells in 1853 . Unscathed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 , KAM 's synagogue building was burned down in the Chicago Fire of 1874
Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Great Chicago Fire
KAM Isaiah Israel