Historic Synagogues of the Intermountain West

One of the focal points of a Jewish community is its synagogue. Here, Jewish people hold religious and other community services. Other buildings do not immediately signify Jewish presence in a community, such as homes, businesses, and schools, but a synagogue is a clear identifier of Jewish faith and life.

Synagogues serve multiple functions. They are largely known as a house of prayer, but they also serve as places of study and as social spaces. Many synagogues contain libraries and classrooms, sometimes offering study sessions for the congregation and members of the public. Synagogues also typically have social halls, where Jews gather for festivals, dancing, and other activities. Due to laws in Europe that prohibited the building of synagogues, they typically blended in, leading their architectural choices to be more contemporary and dictated by the local congregation, though this changed as laws became less restrictive. There are structural customs for synagogue organization, though not all congregations follow them uniformly. Traditionally, synagogues face in the direction of Jerusalem, the holy city of Judaism. The key elements are typically the ark (where Torah scrolls, or religious text, are kept), a bimah (a table from which the Torah is read), and a pulpit. Near the ark is also the Ner Tamid, or an eternal flame. It is also common to see Hebrew inscriptions as decoration. Various synagogues implement these features when practical.

When considering the Intermountain West and the immigrants who flocked to it, many do not immediately think of Jewish communities. The focus on Jewish life in the United States tends to center on major urban centers located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and while many settled in industrial powerhouses like New York City and Chicago, many continued further west. Jewish migrants gained prominence as merchants in many western towns, but also adopted other trades and community roles, such as farmers, ranchers, reformers, civil servants, statesmen, and more. In fact, by the 1910 census every U.S. state had a record of Jewish population, and it has been said that every major western town had a Jewish mayor by 1900. This shows that by the turn of the twentieth century, Jewish life and culture was part of the makeup of the whole nation, including the less-densely populated West. Their cultural roots still influence the Intermountain West today.

The five historic synagogues that follow stand as testaments to the longevity and showcase the impact of the Jewish communities that grew in the Intermountain West. They are Ahavath Beth Israel in Boise, Idaho; Temple Emanuel in Pueblo, Colorado; B’Nai Israel Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah; Mt. Sinai in Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Temple Emanu-El in Helena, Montana. Each of them is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many have been in operation for over one hundred years.