B'nai Abraham Synagogue (Virginia, Minnesota) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids B'nai Abraham Synagogue
The former synagogue, in 2014
Religion
Affiliation	Judaism (former)
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue (1905–c. 1995) Jewish history museum (since 2008) Performance venue (since 2020)
Ownership	Northern Lights Music Festival
Status	Closed (as a synagogue); Repurposed (as a museum and performance space)
Location
Location	328 South 5th Street, Virginia, Iron Range, Minnesota
Country	United States
Location in Minnesota
Architecture
Architectural type	Synagogue architecture
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
Date established	1905 (as a congregation)
Completed	1909
Materials	Red bricks

The B'nai Abraham Synagogue is a special building in Virginia, Minnesota. It used to be a synagogue, which is a Jewish place of worship. Now, it's a museum that teaches about Jewish history. It's also a place where people can enjoy performances.

This building was finished in 1909. It was the very first synagogue built specifically for that purpose in the Iron Range area. For many years, it was a central part of the Jewish community there. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site. It shows how different groups of immigrants came together around their religious centers.

Later, fewer people attended the synagogue. This led to its closing in the mid-1990s. But thanks to community support, the building was saved. It was renovated and now serves as a museum and cultural center.

A New Home for Jewish Families
Building a Community Hub
Saving a Historic Building
B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center
Images for kids
See also

A New Home for Jewish Families

Virginia became a busy town in the 1890s. It was known for its lumber and mining industries. Jewish business owners and workers soon moved to this new town. By 1894, Jewish people from Virginia and nearby areas started holding religious services. They met in a place called Virginia's old North Pole Hall. Most of the Jewish people in Virginia had moved from an area of the Russian Empire that is now Lithuania.

As Virginia grew, so did its Jewish population. In 1905, members of the growing Jewish community formed the B'nai Abraham congregation. They had their first meeting on November 20. Their main goal was to build their own synagogue. Other synagogues in the Iron Range, like those in Hibbing and Eveleth, were once churches that were changed. B'nai Abraham was the first synagogue built from the ground up in the Iron Range.

Building a Community Hub

B'nai Abraham Synagogue in 1926

In 1908, the women of the congregation created the B'nai Abraham Ladies' Aid Society. They worked hard to raise money for the new synagogue. They were very successful! For example, they donated $700 to buy one of the synagogue's 13 beautiful stained glass windows.

The Ladies' Aid Society continued their good work even after the synagogue was built. They called themselves the Sunshine Club. This group of women visited sick members of the community. They also hosted fun events and helped new Jewish immigrants settle in the area.

The synagogue became the heart of Virginia's close-knit Jewish community. Visiting rabbis led religious services. Important holidays and Bar Mitzvahs were celebrated there. B'nai Abraham was also a gathering place for weddings, birthdays, and retirement parties. It hosted meetings for Jewish organizations like B'nai B'rith and Hadassah.

The synagogue has a unique look. Its stone foundation, special windows, Romanesque Revival style, and red brick outside make it a well-known landmark in Virginia. In 1980, B'nai Abraham was the first synagogue in Minnesota to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Saving a Historic Building

Left: Brick repair; Right: Exterior before restoration in 2006

During the second half of the 1900s, the number of Jewish people in the Iron Range slowly decreased. This led to synagogues in Hibbing, Chisholm, and Eveleth closing. By 1990, B'nai Abraham was the last synagogue left in the Iron Range. In the mid-1990s, B'nai Abraham also closed its doors. By 2002, only two members were left in the congregation. That year, the building was listed as one of Minnesota's most endangered historic places.

In 2004, a nonprofit organization called the Friends of B'nai Abraham was formed. Their goal was to save the building. They bought it and started to restore the historic structure. They received help from state and local grants, as well as donations. The building reopened in the summer of 2008. The Friends organization managed it for several years.

B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center

Today, the building is used as a cultural center and museum. It has a permanent exhibit that tells the story of Jewish settlement in the Iron Range.

In 2020, the Friends of B'nai Abraham passed the building's ownership to another nonprofit. This new group is called the Northern Lights Music Festival. They now use the building as a place for musical performances. They also work to offer more music programs. The Northern Lights nonprofit is now fully in charge of managing the building.