Jews supposedly settled in Batelov in the first half of the 15th century, following their expulsion from the nearby town of Jihlava [Jiří Fiedler, “Jak jsou milí příbytkové Tvoji,” Český zápas 65, no. 9 (1985), p. 2]. The original wooden synagogue was destroyed by fire in 1790. A new Baroque structure, built probably on the same site in 1794, was also claimed by fire in 1821. The building was reconstructed four years later, in 1825 [Fiedler, “Jak jsou milí příbytkové Tvoji,” p. 2]. 

The historical development of the local community followed a pattern similar to many others in the Czech lands: while at the beginning of the 18th century, the Jewish quarter and its square were inhabited by approximately 200 Jews, by 1930 this number had dropped to only 31 people [Jiří Fiedler, Jewish Sights of Bohemia and Moravia: Guide Book (Prague: Sefer, 1991), p. 42]. Before World War II, the community had become so small that services were held only on high holidays, often requiring congregants to travel from surrounding villages. During the Nazi occupation, the synagogue was closed and its Torah scrolls were removed [Fiedler, “Jak jsou milí příbytkové Tvoji,” p. 2].

Following the Second World War, no Jews remained in Batelov. Consequently, the Czechoslovak Hussite Church (CČSH) expressed interest in using the building for its own liturgical purposes. According to correspondence from the CČSH priest Jaroslav Vyskočil, the synagogue was formally renamed during a ceremony held on Sunday, June 17, 1951. On this occasion, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in the vestibule with the following inscription: “The Bethlehem Chapel of the Czechoslovak Church, formerly the house of prayer of the Jewish religious community in Batelov, whose believers were martyred by the Nazis. Eternal is their memory.” The ceremony was attended by the Regional Rabbi, Dr. Richard Feder, who expressed his gratitude for the dedication of the plaque in honor of Batelov's Jewish community and welcomed the continued use of the synagogue by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. [Ústřední archiv a muzeum CČSH, Složky náboženské obce – Jihlava, kart.??].

It is probable that the building was also officially reopened as a house of prayer during this celebration, but clear information about this fact is missing. According to Fiedler, the synagogue was leased from the Jewish Community of Brno, however, as the congregation gradually diminished, the lease was ultimately terminated in 1974 [Fiedler, “Jak jsou milí příbytkové Tvoji,” p. 2]. 

During 1984–1985, the building was repurposed for the local gardening association, serving as a clubhouse and a facility for cider-making. [Jaroslav Klenovský, Židovské památky Moravy a Slezska – Jewish Monuments of Moravia and Silesia (Brno: ERA, 2001), p. 64]. Since 2023, the building has once again been owned by the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FŽO), which plans an extensive reconstruction in 2026 [“Batelov – synagoga,” Památky FŽO, accessed February 19, 2026, https://pamatky.kehilaprag.cz/pamatka/batelov-synagoga].