Frontal view of a new addition to Temple Israel synagogue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The addition was constructed in 1987 and added a new entrance on the parking lot, a 250 seat theater, meeting rooms, offices, and elevators to make the temple handicapped-accessible.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Group of children are shown making matzo before it is baked by a group of adult members of Lubavitch and Temple Israel synagogue at an annual baking event.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A young Jewish man sits amidst anti-Semitic graffiti at Mount Zion Temple. Graffiti was found on windows, doors, walls and sidewalks at the synagogue. The vandalism took place in 1978 on the 40th anniversary of ""Crystal Night,"" Germany's campaign to liquidate the Jews.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A group of Jewish men and boys pray before a mock up of the Western Wall at the 1976 Israel Expo sponsored by the Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the previous year, the United Nations General Assembly had passed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. Rabbi Bernard Raskas of the Temple of Aaron responded in a variety of ways including this expo, demonstrating the synagogues '+D35s pride in Israel. 10,000 prayers from the Expo Temple Wall were presented to Rabbi Mayer Yehuda Getz, who at the time was Rabbi of the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
H. Bream, Barbra Keffer, Maren Yurgen, and Charles Keffer, Vice President of the College of St. Thomas look at a book at Jewish Community Relations Council/Anti-Defamation League Bicentennial Judaica Exhibit at the College of St. Thomas. There is a table prepared for the Passover Seder ritual dinner.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Frontal view of Temple Israel synagogue. On Sept. 1, 1928, Temple Israel members attended the inaugural service of this new synagogue, designed by architect Jack Liebenberg. The Temple's pillared facade on Emerson Avenue, the site of the former community house, reflects Greek influence on early Judaism. The five doors represent the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Sholom Home residents sit and stand around a table for bingo hosted by Jewish War Veterans Minnesota Department. Sholom Home has enjoyed an over 100 year legacy in providing a broad continuum of residential, social service and health care services primarily for older adults.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Five gentleman hold shovels to the ground at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Temple of Aaron synagogue on September 20th, 1970. Listed on the back from left to right: Allen Freeman, Dick Smith, Louis Lipschutz, Max Bearman and Alan Levey. The groundbreaking included a stone from Jericho in the Holy Land. In 1972, construction was completed that doubled the square footage of the building, allowing for more space devoted to educational, social and aesthetic purposes.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait of Rabbi Dr. Nahum Schulman, rabbi of Mikro Kodesh Synagogue. In 1949, Mikro Kodesh of Minneapolis, Minnesota was the largest orthodox synagogue in the Twin Cities. By the late 1960, due to Jewish families emigrating to the neighboring Saint Louis Park, the synagogue merged with a conservative synagogue and later became B'nai Emet Synagogue of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A photograph showing the front exterior of Adath Jeshurun Synagogue. Adath Jeshurun was founded 1884. It joined together two groups of Jews--immigrants from Russia and Romania--that had settled on Minneapolis's South Side. The building in the picture was, like Temple Israel, designed by Jack Liebenberg in the Neoclassical Revival style. The number three--corresponding to the number of doors--has several symbolic references, including to the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Front exterior view of Mikro Kodesh synagogue. Mikro Kodesh was one of the largest congregations in the Midwest during the 1950s. The building was designed by Samuel Bowler and completed in 1926. It features two prominent Byzantine domes and rounded Romanesque windows, as well as the three-door motif and five second-story windows.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A large group of young people sitting at a series of long tables in the Temple of Aaron in Saint Paul. United Synagogue Youth (USY) was founded in 1951 to promote living Jewishly to Jewish-American teens. Part educational and part service oriented, the organization encourages youth involvement in Jewish community service work; travel and service in Israel; and reflection on Jewish identity. USY is associated with Conservative Judaism. The photo was taken at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The shofar is a ram's horn used for Jewish religious purposes. It is most frequently associated with the high holidays of Rosh ha-Shana and Yom Kippur.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Photograph of attendees of the Oreck family Seder. The hosts of this Seder were Ida and Arthur Oreck. Arthur Oreck is to the far right of the picture. The Oreck family settled in the Duluth area.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Men and women sit at rows of long tables for anniversary celebration of the Duluth Talmud Torah. The Duluth Jewish community at its height in the 1930s numbered about 4,000. Duluth's profile mirrored that of larger cities to the south, including a mix of German and eastern European settlers. The fact that both groups arrived within the same decade helped prevent some of the same identity-based separation that occurred in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Duluth Talmud Torah is officially named the Ida B. Cook Hebrew school, after the founder and a prominent Duluth citizen.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Kaplan family gathered around a table celebarting Hanukkah. Mr. Kaplan is holding a menorah lit with eight candles. The caption at the bottom of the photograph reads: "Chanukkah Greetings 1955."
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Side view facing West of Mount Zion Temple synagogue at 1300 Summit Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is one of the last projects designed by the internationally renowned Bauhaus architect Erich Mendelsohn, who incidentally died during its construction. The building was dedicated in 1954. A previous building was located at Holly Avenue and Avon Street in St. Paul.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the young men and women in the graduating class of 1954, from the Minneapolis Talmud Torah. Most of the young people in the photo are about 13, the age at which they would participate in their bar or bat mitzvah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Mt. Zion became the first Jewish congregation in Minnesota Territory, receiving its charter in 1857. The building in the photograph at 1300 Summit Avenue in St. Paul is the current home of the congregation. Designed by Eric Mendelsohn, the building is in the Modernist Style, one of four Jewish community buildings designed by Mendelssohn during the post-war period. Groundbreaking occurred in 1950, and the building was dedicated in 1954.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Members of the Temple of Aaron synagogue Women's League cook dinner to raise money for the United Synagogue Youth. Written on the back in no particular order: Tone Spizman, Rae Robinson, Celia Marofsky, Mae Gross, Edna Gordon, Nina Blizin, Sima Seigal.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Three unidentified men read from the Torah during the High Holidays. High Holidays are observed during the ten day period between Day One: Roshashna, the Jewish New Year, and Day Ten, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These two holy days are the most important days of the year for Jews, and they are also the only holidays that have no historical foundation. They are religious observances, focusing on family and congregational gatherings, emphasizing reflection, fasting and prayer.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A celebration held at either Emanuel Cohen Center or the basement of Tifereth B'nai Jacob for Tifereth congregants. Tifereth B'nai Jacob was an Orthodox Shul that was also referred to by Northsider's as the "Elwood Shul." The congregation merged with Mikro Kodesh during the outmigration to the western suburbs, ultimately merging again with members of the Minneapolis south-side Shul, B'nai Abraham, to create B'nai Emet in St. Louis Park. The woman at the front of the procession is Lena Burdman.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A group of men are sitting in pews and reading. The Ark is in the background. Tisha B'Av is a Jewish day of mourning and fasting. It literally denotes the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av. It commemorates tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over time, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Interior view of fourth Mount Zion Temple synagogue, with several empty chairs and people standing and socializing. This photograph was taken during the construction of the building in the 1950s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Teenagers gather outside a bus while attending a Mount Zion Temple synagogue teen outing. At the time, Mount Zion was on the corner of Holly Avenue and Avon Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, which is likely the area this photograph was shot.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait of Rabbi S. I. Levin, who served the congregations Sharei Tzedek Synagogue and Sharei Chesed Synagogue of Minneapolis, Minnesota for more than 63 years. He was the highly respected dean of Minneapolis Orthodox rabbis until his death in 1984. A prolific writer in scholarly Hebrew journals, he was one of the founders of the Minneapolis Federation and the Jewish Family and Children�s Service.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Interior view of fourth Mount Zion Temple synagogue, with several empty chairs and people standing and socializing. This photograph was taken during the construction of the building in the 1950s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Rabbi Milgrom stands at the head of tables set for Seder while young men and women stand as well. The University of Minnesota Hillel Society was founded in 1940, with Rabbi Milgrom its first director. By 1941 the membership of more than 500 enjoyed a full agenda of programs including classes, discussion groups, debate, drama and social activities. The lack of a permanent home was an issue as early as 1943, and the U. J. F. C. sanctioned a fund drive in 1945. A permanent building (the current one) was purchased in 1956. Even without a home, activities included a model Seder, Friday night services and dinners, and activities, such as vocational guidance, for returning veteran students.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
An unidentified woman chatting with Leah Barron (seated). This Hadassah-sponsored luncheon may have been an Interfaith Tea. The teas were carried on by Jewish and non-Jewish Women's groups interested in promoting cross-cultural education and understanding.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
As a group of unidentified men look on, Governor Youngdahl is signs a Book of Remembrance. A Book of Remembrance commemorates those who have died in a particular location or time period.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Mt. Zion Women's Sisterhood members looking at a Shabbat dinner table setting. The women in the picture were publicizing the concept of the "Jewish Home Beautiful", which emphasized decorating the home, specifically the table settling, for each Jewish holiday. Left to right: Mrs. Max Whitefield, Mrs. Joseph Stein, and Mrs. Allen Firestone.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Five couples of University of Minnesota Hillel students attending the Spring Fever formal smile and pose for the camera while on the dance floor. The University of Minnesota chapter of Hillel was founded in 1940 to assist Jewish college students away from home.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Passover Seders begin with a retelling of the story of the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage. It includes foods symbolic of the years of slavery and flight from Egypt. Seders are family and community observances, held primarily in the home. The Smith family lived in St. Paul on Dayton Avenue. Jennie Smith, the family matriarch, presides at the end of the table.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Graduates and instructors stand arranged on the steps of the Emanuel Cohen Center. The Emanuel Cohen Center provided recreation space and social services to the North Minneapolis community. The Center was named for Emanuel Cohen, an attorney and the Center's principle benefactor.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Saul Upin is standing, reading from the Haggadah, the text for the Seder observance. The Albert Lea Jewish community was relatively small. The 1930 American Jewish Yearbook census put the population at 29 people, which was undoubtedly its peak.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A view showing the front exterior of the Beth El Synagogue. The congregation was created in 1921 by younger members of the North Side community who were interested in establishing a Conservative presence on the North Side. They conducted Torah study in English and held Friday evening Shabbat services. The building was located on 1349 Penn Avenue N. and designed by Jack Leibenberg. It was demolished in the 1980s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Three unidentified Hillel students, standing around a table, participate in a Havdalah ceremony marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week. The female student holds a braided Havdalah candle, center male holds a flashlight and the other male student holds a prayer book. On the table is a spice box and a cup of wine used for the ceremony. The University of Minnesota chapter of Hillel was founded in 1940 to assist Jewish college students away from home.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Rabbi David Aronson, Senator Hubert Humphrey and Rabbi Kassel Abelson pose standing for the camera. Rabbis Kassel Abelson and David Aronson led the Beth El Synagogue congregation during the years it was located on Penn Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The photo with Senator Humphrey was taken at the Penn Avenue building. Aronson especially worked closely with Humphrey during Humphrey's tenure as Minneapolis mayor to improve North side inter-community relations during the late 1940s and early 50s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives