History of the Jews in Denver facts for kids
The history of Jewish people in Denver, Colorado is a long and interesting story. It began when gold was discovered in 1858 and continues to this day. The first Jewish settlers were mostly from Germany. They were very active in local government and community life. Some even became important leaders in Denver.
In the 1880s, many Jewish immigrants came to the U.S. from Eastern Europe. This made Denver's Jewish community much larger. It also showed some differences between the German-speaking Jews and the Yiddish-speaking Jews. Denver became a popular place for people seeking treatment for a lung illness called tuberculosis. Many Jewish people came hoping to get better. The Jewish community then created two important groups to help sick people, not just Jewish people, but anyone who was poor and sick.
In the early 1900s, the Orthodox Jewish community grew in Denver's West Side. They built many religious and community centers. This community, especially the poorer people, sometimes faced unfair treatment and hatred. Starting in the 1950s, the community began to move from the West Side to the East Side and then to the suburbs. Today, the Jewish community in Denver is still very active. It has grown quickly, and with it, so have the number of schools, fun activities, and religious places that serve its members.
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Early Days of Jewish Life in Denver
By 1859, a year after gold was found, about a dozen Jewish people lived in Denver. Most were from Germany or Central Europe. Four of these men – Hyman and Fred Salomon, Leopold Mayer, and Abraham Jacobs – later served on the Denver City Council. They are also believed to have held the first religious service in Denver in September 1859.
In 1860, the first Jewish group, the Hebrew Burial and Prayer Society, was formed. A B'nai B'rith club started in 1872. Colorado's first synagogue, Temple Emanuel, was built in 1874. In 1889, Wolfe Londoner became Denver's first (and only) Jewish mayor.
New Immigrants and Health Care
In the 1880s, many Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe came to the U.S. This changed the Jewish community in Denver. The first Jewish settlers were often from Germany, followed Reform Jewish traditions, and had some money. The new immigrants, however, were often more traditional, spoke Yiddish, and were poor.
At this time, Colorado became known as a place to get better from tuberculosis, a serious lung illness. Many people, including Jewish immigrants, came hoping the dry, sunny climate would help them. To help these people, two hospitals were created: the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives (NJH) in 1899, and the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) in 1904.
There was some friendly competition between these two hospitals. NJH was started by the German Jewish community. It had strict rules for who could be admitted. Patients needed to be in the early stages of the illness. They also had to show they had money for their stay or for a trip home. Stays were limited to six months. These rules made it hard for some Eastern European Jews to get help there. So, JCRS was created to help those who couldn't get into NJH.
A Helping Hand: Frances Wisebart Jacobs
Frances Wisebart Jacobs was a key person in starting many charity groups in Denver. She helped create both the National Jewish Hospital and the community chest, which later became United Way. Her hard work for those in need was honored with a stained-glass window in the Colorado State Capitol. She is one of only 16 pioneers shown there, and the only woman.
After a group of Orthodox families from the Russian Empire tried to start a farming community in Cotopaxi, Colorado, and failed, many moved to Denver. They settled in the West Colfax neighborhood, also known as the West Side. In 1897, these former colonists helped start the first synagogue in the neighborhood, Congregation Zera Abraham. It is still an active Orthodox synagogue today.
The 20th Century and Growth
At the start of the 1900s, the Orthodox community in the West Side kept growing. They built more synagogues, ritual baths (mikva’ot), schools, and even Yiddish theaters. Many famous Yiddish writers and thinkers came to Denver for tuberculosis treatment, like the poet Yehoash.
Between 1900 and 1907, many Jewish immigrants moved directly to Denver because of its growing religious community. The Jewish population in the city reached its highest point just before World War I. By 1912, Denver's Jewish population was about 15,000. In 1913, the Intermountain Jewish News newspaper was founded. Today, it is the largest Jewish newspaper in Colorado.
Golda Meir's Time in Denver
Golda Meir, who later became the Prime Minister of Israel, lived in Denver's West Side from 1913 to 1914. She lived with her sister, who had moved to the city for tuberculosis treatment. In Denver, Golda met her future husband, Morris Meyerson. In her book, My Life, she wrote that the many talks she had in Denver helped shape her ideas and beliefs for the future. The house where she lived is now the Golda Meir House Museum.
The West Colfax area remained mostly Jewish from the 1920s to the 1950s. In the 1940s, a new medicine was found to cure tuberculosis. This caused the number of deaths to drop a lot. The hospitals in Denver that treated tuberculosis slowly became smaller or changed their focus. By the 1950s, the Jewish community in the West Side began to move to other areas, especially the East Side, and later, to the suburbs.
While the Hebrew Educational Alliance school opened in 1920, the 1950s and 1960s saw more Jewish schools open. These included Hillel Academy, Beth Jacob High School for Girls, and Yeshiva Toras Chaim. In 1975, the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver was started. The Jewish population of Denver was estimated to be between 23,500 and 30,000 in 1968. It grew to about 40,000 in the 1970s as more people moved to the suburbs.
From 1978 to 1983, Denver had a special program for people converting to Judaism. It aimed to make sure conversions were accepted by all Jewish groups: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. This program ended in 1983. This happened partly because the Reform movement decided to accept people as Jewish if only their father was Jewish. This caused a lot of discussion in Denver and beyond.
Denver's Jewish Community Today
In 2007, about 83,900 Jewish people lived in the Denver-Boulder area. A 2013 study said Colorado's Jewish population was 92,000. More than three-quarters of these people lived in Denver.
Denver still has an active Haredi (very traditional) Jewish community in the West Side. They follow Lithuanian Jewish customs. There is also a lively Modern Orthodox community. Many Reform and Conservative synagogues are also active. The area has 25 active synagogues. This includes BMH-BJ, the largest Modern Orthodox synagogue in Denver. There are also many Jewish day schools that teach different Jewish traditions.
The University of Denver has a Center for Judaic Studies. It is also home to the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, the Beck Archives, and the Holocaust Awareness Institute. Several Jewish places in Denver are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Isaac Solomon Synagogue and the old Temple Emanuel on Pearl Street.
Denver and Boulder have Jewish Community Centers. Other cultural places include the Mizel Museum and the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. Many national Jewish groups also have offices in Denver. These include the Anti-Defamation League and Hadassah.
Famous Jewish People from Denver
- Otto Mears (1840-1931): A key early Coloradan who built roads and railways in tough areas.
- Wolfe Londoner (1842-1912): The first Jewish Mayor of Denver.
- Frances Wisebart Jacobs (1843-1892): A leading helper of those in need.
- David Edelstadt (1866-1892): A Yiddish poet.
- Simon Guggenheim (1867-1941): A United States Senator for Colorado.
- Yehoash (Blumgarten) (1872-1927): A Yiddish poet and scholar.
- Jesse Shwayder (1882-1970): The founder of the Samsonite Corporation.
- Yehuda Leib Ginsburg (1888-1946): An author of important writings on Jewish texts.
- H. Leivick (1888-1962): A Yiddish writer and poet.
- Golda Meir (1898-1978): The fourth Prime Minister of Israel.
- Josef Korbel (1909-1977): A diplomat and political scientist. He was Madeleine Albright's father.
- Miriam Goldberg (1916-2017): Longtime publisher of the Intermountain Jewish News.
- Ruth Handler (1916-2002): The person who invented the Barbie doll.
- Sheldon Beren (1922-1996): An oil executive and a big supporter of Orthodox Jewish causes.
- Alan Berg (1934-1984): A lawyer and radio talk show host.
- Madeleine Albright (1937 - ): A politician and diplomat.
- Larry Mizel (1942 - ): A businessman and helper of the community.
- Kenneth D. Tuchman (1959 - ): The founder of TeleTech and a helper of the community.
- Michael Bennet (1964 -): The current United States Senator for Colorado.
- T.J. Miller (1981 - ): A comedian, actor, writer, and producer.
- Jared Polis (1975 - ): A U.S. Representative and the first Jewish Governor of Colorado.
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