Jewish Settlement in Minnesota

First Wave of Jewish Settlement 

The first wave of Jewish immigration to Minnesota territory began in the 1840s and 1850s, with a majority of new Jewish residents coming from Central Europe and speaking primarily German.¹ While many of the Jews that arrived to the U.S. during this period settled in coastal cities, some ventured West of the Mississippi River in search of new economic opportunities. Early Jewish settlers found profit working in the fur trade and garment industry, and many worked as merchants or peddlers in the dry goods trade.² The 8 founding families of the Mount Zion Hebrew Association settled in Minnesota from Germany during this first wave of immigration. 

Second Wave of Jewish Immigration (1880s-1920s)

Beginning in the 1880s, the second wave of Jewish immigration to Minnesota brought thousands of immigrants and refugees from Eastern Europe.³ Fleeing the religious and political persecution of the pogroms in the Pale of Settlement, Jews of the second wave sought freedom and opportunity, and were generally less affluent than the first wave of Germans.⁴ These immigrants brought with them a range of religious and cultural practices that set them apart from the existing Jewish community in Minnesota, and they spoke mainly Yiddish, Polish, and Russian. Immigration increased rapidly into the 1920s until restrictive immigration measures limited new arrivals to the U.S.⁵ The population of St Paul increased overall during this period. Mount Zion and its congregants played a formative role in settling and welcoming this wave of Jewish refugees to their new homes in Saint Paul.⁶

The Neighborhood House

Prior to the 1880s, the Jewish population of Minnesota was less than 1,000, but by 1920 the population had reached an estimated 30,000-40,000.⁷ Mount Zion had roughly 50 members when the second wave of Jewish refugees began arriving to Saint Paul.⁸ 

Mount Zion found many ways to support new Jewish arrivals. A great example of this is the Neighborhood House, an institution dedicated to community aid and immigrant social services that still operates today.⁹ In 1900, the Neighborhood house was established by the women of Mount Zion in order to provide housing and other services to Eastern European immigrants in the West Side Flats area of Saint Paul.¹⁰ By the 1950s, many Jewish settlers had left the West Side Flats for more affluent neighborhoods of the city and in 1956 the area was rezoned by the city.¹¹

The Neighborhood House still operates today and remains an important institution in the West Side of Saint Paul. Thanks to a generous donation from Paul and Sheila Wellstone, the Center was expanded in 2006.¹² It continues to house a diverse range of immigrants and refugees in Minnesota, illustrating Mount Zion’s enduring commitment to social action and collective memory of immigration and assimilation.