B'nai Jacob Synagogue (Ottumwa, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids B'nai Jacob Synagogue |
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|---|---|
The synagogue during Hanukkah, in 2010,
prior to its closure |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue (1915–2010) Meeting and performance space (since 2019) |
| Ownership | American Gothic Performing Arts Festival |
| Status | Closed (as a synagogue); Repurposed |
| Location | |
| Location | 529 East Main Street, Ottumwa, Iowa |
| Country | United States |
 Location in Iowa
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| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | George M. Kerns |
| Architectural type | Synagogue architecture |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival Art Deco Vernacular |
| Founder | Ottumwa Hebrew Association |
| General contractor | L.T. Chrisman, and Co. |
| Date established | 1898 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1915 |
| Materials | Red brick |
The B'nai Jacob Synagogue is a building in Ottumwa, Iowa, that used to be a Jewish place of worship. It was first built in 1915 for a Jewish community that started in 1898. This community followed Orthodox Judaism at first. Later, in the 1950s, they became part of the Conservative Judaism movement.
In 2004, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. The synagogue stopped being a place of worship in 2010. Today, the building is used for meetings and performances.
Contents
A Look Back: The Synagogue's History
Early Jewish Community in Ottumwa
The first Jewish people came to Ottumwa in the 1800s. Many of them were from Germany. Around the early 1880s, these German Jewish families formed a group. However, this group ended by 1884 as many of the first families passed away or moved.
By 1886, about 20 Jewish families lived in Ottumwa. The Jewish cemetery in Ottumwa was started in 1876. It was founded by the Ottumwa Hebrew Association. This cemetery is a lasting reminder of the early Jewish community.
The famous writer Edna Ferber lived in Ottumwa as a child in the 1890s. Her father owned a department store there. At that time, Ottumwa was a town known for coal mining. Ferber later wrote about how difficult it was to be Jewish in Ottumwa. She felt treated unfairly because she was Jewish.
Growing Together: The Congregation Forms
Around the year 1900, fewer than 50 Jewish families lived in Ottumwa. They were immigrants from Germany and Eastern Europe. Many of them worked in businesses that bought and sold used goods. Others were laborers, shoemakers, or tailors.
Some families were very religious. They followed Jewish laws strictly. Others were not as religious. Even though there was no organized Jewish community, some people had their own Torah scrolls. A Torah scroll is a holy book in Judaism. One person even had a private mikvah, which is a special bath used for religious cleansing.
In the early 1900s, some streets in Ottumwa were called "Jew Town." This was because many stores there were owned by Jewish families. Many of these families also lived above their shops.
The B'nai Jacob congregation was officially formed in 1898. By 1907, the group met at 404 E. Main Street. It had 15 members. The total Jewish population in Ottumwa was about 150 people then. The congregation also had a Hebrew school with 15 students. They met once a week.
By 1919, the Jewish population in Ottumwa grew to 412 people. The congregation moved to its current building. The school now had 21 students and met every day. In the 1930s and 1940s, the B'nai Jacob congregation had about 250 members. In the 1950s, the synagogue joined the Conservative movement of Judaism.
A Changing Community
In 1951, Ottumwa had 231 Jewish residents. By 1960, this number dropped to about 175. By 1962, it was 150. This number stayed about the same for the next 20 years.
By 2010, the number of people attending services on a Saturday morning was very small, usually around seven. By 2018, sometimes only two people attended. In August 2018, the congregation decided to donate its Torah scroll to a new synagogue in South America. After this, the B'nai Jacob Synagogue stopped holding services.
The Synagogue Building: A Closer Look
Design and Features
The B'nai Jacob synagogue building is located at 529 East Main Street. It was built in 1915. The building's style is a mix of Renaissance Revival and Art Deco styles. These styles were popular at the time. The architect was George M. Kerns. The building was constructed by L.T. Chrisman and Company.
The outside of the building is made of red brick. In the 1950s, a kitchen and social hall were added to the back.
Inside the sanctuary, the bimah (a raised platform for reading the Torah) was originally in the center. But it was moved during an earlier update of the building. The wooden decorations around the Torah ark are still the original ones. The Torah ark is a special cabinet where the Torah scrolls are kept. The seven-branched menorah in front of the ark is also original. However, the ark doors and its inside parts are not original.
The sanctuary also has a women's gallery. This is a balcony along the south-west wall. It is built above the front entrance and a classroom. In traditional Judaism, men and women sat separately. A special screen called a mechitza often divided them. Sometimes, this separation was a balcony like this one. At B'nai Jacob, men and women stopped sitting separately when one woman could not climb the stairs to the balcony anymore.
A Historic Landmark
On August 10, 2004, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site in the United States. A big project to restore the building was finished between 2004 and 2005.
New Life for the Building
In February 2019, the building was given to the American Gothic Performing Arts Festival. It was renamed the Temple of Creative Arts. Now, it is used as a space for meetings and performances.
See also
