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I O W A
"AMERICAN SYNAGOGUES: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY"
A New Book Available on CD-ROM
◄ ◄ IOWA SAMPLE PAGE ► ►
It is believed that the first permanent Jewish settler in Iowa was Alexander Levi. Levi came to Dubuque in 1833 from New Orleans and opened a grocery store which was one of the town's first businesses. It was not until the early 1840's that other Jews came to settle in Iowa. These individuals were mostly peddlers originally from Germany and Poland. When Iowa achieved statehood in 1846, there were approximately one hundred Jews living in the state. The first Jewish Community in Iowa was organized in Keokuk in 1855, but no longer exists. The oldest existing Jewish Community and Congregation in Iowa can be found in the Mississippi river city of Davenport.
Temple Emanuel was founded as Congregation B'nai Israel in 1861. By 1868 the congregation was formally incorporated. Their first permanent building was of Moorish and Romanesque design and was known as Temple Emanuel in honor of Moses Emanuel Rothschild. Their current building was designed by the noted American synagogue architect Percival Goodman and was dedicated in 1953. It is of a very typical Mid-Century Modern design with little exterior ornamentation.
Other early Jewish Communities in Iowa were established in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Sioux City. Des Moines today has the largest Jewish Community in the State. The present Jewish population of Iowa is approximately 6,000 people.
'Click' on Thumbnail Photographs for the Larger Image
Ames Jewish Congregation 3721 Calhoun Avenue - Ames, Iowa Congregation Established in 1961 ♦ Affiliation: Reform Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 Style of Architecture: Contemporary ♦ Current Building: 1978/1994 Photographs Courtesy of John Pleasants and the Ames Jewish Congregation The stained glass window above the ark was found in a salvage yard and is believed to be from a former synagogue in Texas
Temple Israel 830 Division Street - Burlington, Iowa Congregation Established in 1902? ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 By Kathy Harris Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern ♦ Current Building: 1952 Temple Israel may trace its roots to an Orthodox congregation founded in 1902. Temple Israel is unaffiliated, but Conservative in worship and as of 2010 has about 20 members.
Temple Judah 1221 Lindsay Lane, Southeast - Cedar Rapids, Iowa Congregation Established in ???? ♦ Affiliation: Reform Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern & Contemporary ♦ Current Building: 1962 & 1999 Photographs Courtesy of Tony Smith and Temple Judah
B'nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster Street - Council Bluffs, Iowa Congregation Established in 1903 ♦ Affiliation: Unaffiliated Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2006 By Nancy Heather Style of Architecture: Classical Revival/Art Deco ♦ Current Building: 1904 Rebuilt 1930 The synagogue building was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Temple Emanuel 1115 Mississippi Avenue - Davenport, Iowa Congregation Established in 1861 ♦ Affiliation: Reform Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 By Delores Lay Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern ♦ Current Building: 1953 Temple Emanuel, founded as Congregation B'nai Israel, is the oldest existing Jewish congregation in the State of Iowa The synagogue building was designed by noted US synagogue architect Percival Goodman
Congregation Beth El Jacob 954 Cummins Parkway - Des Moines, Iowa Congregation Established in 1881 ♦ Affiliation: Modern Orthodox Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 Current Building: 1957 ♦ Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern Photographs Courtesy Michael Libbie and Congregation Beth El Jacob
Temple B'nai Jeshurun 5101 Grand Avenue - Des Moines, Iowa Congregation Established in 1873 ♦ Affiliation: Reform Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 Current Building: 1932 ♦ Style of Architecture: Byzantine Revival Photographs By Jim Murrell and Erin Mueller Temple B'nai Jeshurun is the largest Reform Jewish Congregation in the State of Iowa
Congregation Tifereth Israel 924 Polk Boulevard - Des Moines, Iowa Congregation Established in 1901 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photograph: 2007 By Jim Murrell Current Building: 1929 ♦ Style of Architecture: Moorish-Revival The synagogue facilities of Congregation Tifereth Israel were greatly expanded in the 1950's and again in 1979
Temple Beth El 475 West Locust Street - Dubuque, Iowa Congregation Established in 1901 ♦ Affiliation: Reform Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 By Dana Johansen Smith Current Building: 1929 ♦ Style of Architecture: Gothic Revival/Vernacular
Beth El Congregation 501 North 12th Street - Fort Dodge, Iowa Congregation Established in 1918 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photograph: 2005 Style of Architecture: Eclectic/Moorish Revival ♦ Former Building: 1947 Photograph Courtesy of Ryan Moffatt and www.Absolutedsm.com Beth El closed in 1998 and sold their building. They donated the ark & other furnishings to the Iowa Jewish Historical Society
Agudas Achim Congregation 602 East Washington Street - Iowa City, Iowa Congregation Established in 1916 ♦ Affiliation: Reform & Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2002 Current Building: 1950 With Later Additions ♦ Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern Photograph Courtesy of Agudas Achim Congregation
Congregation Sons of Israel 301 West Church Street - Marshalltown, Iowa Congregation Established in ???? ♦ Affiliation: Unknown Judaism ♦ Photograph: 2002 By Carleton A. Tucker Former Building: ???? ♦ Style of Architecture: Gothic Revival
Adas Israel Congregation 620 North Adams - Mason City, Iowa Congregation Established in 1910 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs: 2007 Current Building: 1941 ♦ Style of Architecture: Colonial Revival Former Building: ???? ♦ Style of Architecture: Vernacular - 632 South Adams Exterior Photographs By DJ Sinnwell ♦ Interior Photographs By Michael Libbie
Congregation B'nai Moses Spring & Sevenths Streets - Muscatine, Iowa Congregation Established ca. 1890 ♦ Affiliation: Unknown Judaism ♦ Photograph: 2007 By Kathy Sterny Former Building: ???? ♦ Style of Architecture: Vernacular Congregation B'nai Moses was an active synagogue into the 1970's, but closed sometime prior to 1987.
B'nai Israel Congregation High Avenue, West & Eighth Street, South - Oskaloosa, Iowa Congregation Established in ???? ♦ Affiliation: Unknown Judaism ♦ Photograph 2007 By Charles Russell Former Building: ???? ♦ Style of Architecture: Vernacular/Functional
Congregation B'nai Jacob 529 East Main Street - Ottumwa, Iowa Congregation Established in 1915 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 Current Building: 1915 ♦ Style of Architecture: Deco/Vernacular Photographs Courtesy of Sue Weinberg, Robert Armstrong & Congregation B'nai Jacob
Congregation Beth Shalom 815 38th Street - Sioux City, Iowa Congregation Established in 1994 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 By Fidell Wadsworth, Jr. Current Building: 1957 - built for Mount Sinai Congregation ♦ Style of Architecture: Mid-Century Modern Present Congregation was formed by the merger of Shaare Zion Synagogue and Mount Sinai Congregation (f. ca, 1884)
Shaare Zion Synagogue 1522 Douglas Street - Sioux City, Iowa Congregation Established in ???? ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 By Fidell Wadsworth, Jr. Former Building: ???? ♦ Style of Architecture: Classical Revival/Eclectic
United Orthodox Synagogue 1320 Nebraska Street - Sioux City, Iowa Congregation Established in 1956 ♦ Affiliation: Orthodox Judaism ♦ Photograph 2007 By Nancy Heather Former Building: Pre 1900 ♦ Style of Architecture: Prairie School/Queen Anne Victorian United Orthodox was formed in 1956 by the merger of Beth Abraham, Adath Jeshurun & Tifereth Israel. This congregation closed post 1987 The synagogue building was originally built for the Mount Sinai Congregation
Sons of Jacob Synagogue 411 East Mitchell Avenue - Waterloo, Iowa Congregation Established in 1905 ♦ Affiliation: Conservative Judaism ♦ Photographs 2007 By Christine Dewater Current Building: 1953 ♦ Style of Architecture: Mid Century Modern
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