Mount Zion: Minnesota's First Jewish Temple
Authored by Dani Rader in 2021
Mount Zion Temple Summit Ave
Designed by Bauhaus architect Eric Erich Mendelsohn, construction at Mount Zion Temple's current home began in 1953. This black and white image taken in 1955 captures the exterior of the structure, facing the educational wing.
Third Temple at Holly and Avon Ave, c. 1911
Illustrated on this postcard from 1911 is Mount Zion’s third temple building, located at Holly and Avon Ave in Saint Paul. The structure was completed in 1904 and was built to house Mount Zion’s expanding congregation.
Jewish presence in Minnesota predates the founding of the state. This exhibit outlines the storied history of Minnesota’s first Jewish synagogue, Mount Zion Temple and its congregants. Since its founding in 1856 and legal incorporation by the Minnesota territory in 1857, Mount Zion has been an important marker of Jewish presence in Minnesota, particularly in the city of Saint Paul. This exhibit explores the development of the congregation and the ways in which the Jews of Mount Zion have adapted to shifting social, economic, and political conditions, modeled progressive Jewish leadership, and engaged with the wider Minnesota community. To learn about Mount Zion’s history, Jewish place-making and settlement in Minnesota, and Mount Zion's social justice work over the centuries, click through the following pages.
