Jewish traders had a presence in Alabama beginning in the 18th century. However, the first permanent Alabama Jewish community was only established in 1820 beginning in Mobile, Alabama. The largest antebellum Jewish settlement was in Mobile. Mobile was a location where in 1841, a sufficient amount of Jews established themselves enough to purchase a cemetery (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). This was the first of many entrepreneurial ventures that the Jewish people engaged in collectively. The first ever Congregation, entitled Congregation Shaarai Shomayim u-Maskil el Dol was chartered on January 25th 1844. The congregation was delegated by a Jewish man who was originally from London, England but decided to migrate over to Alabama in the early 1830's. This man, Israel I. Jones, was president of the congregation for most of his life. He really wanted to be apart of the growing Jewish culture in Alabama and be a person that helped administer change within the state. Additionally, Jones was the first person to introduce streetcars to Mobile (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). Alabama's first ever welfare society, the Chevra Menacer Cholim, was organized in Montgomery in November of 1846 by twelve German Jewish immigrants. This society made a huge impact throughout the 19th century in Alabama. They "conducted services, purchased a cemetery and on June 3, 1849, with 30 members transformed itself into Congregation Kahl Montgomery" (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). Other communities were established thereafter.