When the town of Columbia, Maryland was formed in the 1960s, in accordance with an idea of James Rouse, an Interfaith Center was created where all places of worhsip in the town would initially share a hall. The attempt to first organize a Jewish community in the Columbia area began in 1967. Temple Solel (now known as Temple Isaiah) became the area's Reform temple, and Beth Shalom became the area's Conservative congregation . Both have since obtained their own buildings. An attempt to form an Orthodox community was unsuccessful.