Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh records

In 1904, two Orthodox Jewish communities in Portland, Maine, came together to establish Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh ("Gates of Prayer"). At the time, most of the Jewish families in Portland had immigrated from Eastern Europe and brought with them shared religious and cultural traditions, including the use of Yiddish. The congregation built its first synagogue at 145 Newbury Street, in an area of Portland home to many of the city's Jewish residents.

Shaarey Tphiloh congregants participated in many aspects of Jewish life in and around Portland, including membership in the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association, the Portland Hebrew School, and the Vaad Hakashruth, a group comprised of delegates from various Jewish congregations and institutions. In 1925, the Shaarey Tphiloh Sisterhood was formed to raise money, support synagogue activities, and provide women with opportunities to be involved in the life and community of the congregation.

Over the decades, English gradually replaced Yiddish at Shaarey Tphiloh, and other synagogues, such as the Conservative Temple Beth El, were established in the city. In 1954, Shaarey Tphiloh built a new synagogue at 76 Noyes Street, in the Woodfords Corner neighborhood. The Portland Hebrew School shared space in this new building, and the congregation grew, though some congregants chose to continue worshipping on Newbury Street until the building was sold in the 1970s. With the move to Noyes Street, various changes in practice emerged, including the introduction of religious education for girls.

In 2015, the congregation moved from its home on Noyes Street into a rental space within the Temple Beth El building at 400 Deering Avenue. Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh is the oldest continuously operating synagogue in Portland.