Mount Sinai Temple (Sioux City, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Sinai Temple |
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The former Reform synagogue, in 2011
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation |
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| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 1320 Nebraska Street, Sioux City, Iowa |
| Country | United States |
 Location in Iowa
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| Architecture | |
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| Architectural type | Synagogue |
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| General contractor | Ostling & Johnson |
| Date established | 1898 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1901, 1922 |
Mount Sinai Temple is an old building in Sioux City, Iowa. It used to be a special place of worship for people who follow Reform Judaism, a type of Jewish faith. This building is important because it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a historic landmark that is protected.
Contents
History of Mount Sinai Temple
Early Jewish Community in Sioux City
Jewish people started living in Sioux City as early as the 1860s. The first Jewish house of worship, called a synagogue, was built in 1884. It was for an Orthodox group called Adas Jeshurun.
The Jewish community in Sioux City grew a lot. In 1890, there were about 200 Jewish people. By the time World War I started, there were nearly 2,500. Sioux City had the second largest Jewish community in Iowa back then.
Building the Temple
The Mount Sinai Temple group was officially started in 1898. However, the Reform Jewish community had been active for a long time. They had even started a cemetery in 1869. Before their own building, they often worshipped with the Unitarian Church in Sioux City.
The Mount Sinai Temple building was designed by George Washington Burkhead. It opened in 1901. It was a one-and-a-half-story building made of wood. Later, in 1922, an addition was designed by William L. Steele.
Changes Over Time
Between World War I and World War II, the Jewish Community Center in Sioux City was very busy. It hosted many different groups and classes. In 1944, a part of West Seventh Street had 22 businesses owned by Jewish people.
In 1956, the Mount Sinai Temple group needed a bigger building. They built a new synagogue on 38th Street. The old building on Nebraska Street then became home to the United Orthodox Synagogue. This new group was formed from several smaller Orthodox congregations.
After World War II, the number of Jewish people in Sioux City started to get smaller. By the mid-1980s, there were about 700 Jewish people. By 2001, that number was down to 300. The different Jewish groups in Sioux City started combining their religious schools in 1990. In 1994, two groups, the Conservative Shaare Zion and the Reform Mount Sinai, joined together. They formed a new synagogue called Beth Sholom.
