Beth Israel Synagogue was founded in the early 1950's by 20 families who moved to Southern Maryland with the building of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Throughout the years we have grown and evolved, catering to a diverse membership with a wide spectrum of both spiritual and religious needs. Our members come not only from St. Mary's County, but also from neighboring Charles and Calvert Counties.

Our building was erected by Jewish as well as non-Jewish members of the community and the doors to the Ark were hand carved by our Mennonite neighbors. Our sanctuary was remodeled recently, and we are planning an expansion of our building  to accommodate classrooms and a community room for celebrations.

Fred Elias is a fifth year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York,  NY. He concurrently works during the summer at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires as Program Coordinator. 

Born in Montreal, Canada and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Fred grew up in the Conservative movement. He was active in United Synagogue Youth, attended afternoon Hebrew school at Agudas Achim in  Alexandria, and spent his summers working in a scientific bookstore. Fred graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and he completed an M.A. in Jewish Education at the Boston Hebrew College.  He also served for six years as the Youth and Education Director at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Andover, Massachusetts.  While in  New York, Fred has served as the rabbinic intern at Temple Beth El in Poughkeepsie, New York and Congregation Gesher Shalom in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He also spent time doing chaplaincy work at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center and running a Friday night Shabbat service and Passover Seder at an assisted living facility in New York.

Fred lives on the Upper West Side in  New York City with his wife and their 2 year old daughter. They are all avid Boston Red Sox fans. Fred  brings to our congregation a love of teaching, community building, and working with individuals across the generation span.