B'Nai Israel Synagogue - Cape Girardeau, MO
Posted by: 
paulspaper
N 37° 18.076 W 089° 31.144
16S E 276731 N 4131269
Constructed in 1937, the B’nai Israel Synagogue of Cape Girardeau,Missouri, is a stuccoed brick, one-story, Spanish Colonial Revival style building with Islamic influences.
Waymark Code: WM2CRP
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 10/13/2007
Views: 98
From the December 2004 issue of "Heritage Matters" from the National Park Service: Prior to construction of the B’nai Israel Synagogue, the congregation met in various locations, such as the Elks Lodge, the Presbyterian Church, and the Community Building in Fairground Park. After fire destroyed the CommunityBuilding in 1937, the small congregation built the B’nai Israel Synagogue, which has been used as a gathering place for Jewish reli-gious and social life.
The Jewish community in south-eastern Missouri dates back to the 1830s, with services held as early as 1836 in nearby St. Louis. Retailer Louis Hecht, along with fellowbusinessmen Jake Pollack and David Minnen, helped organize a chapter of the B’nai B’rith lodge in Cape Giradeau in 1921. Hecht, Pollack, and Minnen bought property on Main Street next to the St.Vincent De Paul Catholic Church. The congregation commissioned T. P. Barnett to design the syna-gogue. The synagogue harkens to Cape Girardeau’s Spanish heritage while reflecting traditional synagogue.
Street address:
126 S. Main
Cape Girardeau, MO USA
63701
County / Borough / Parish: Cape Girardeau
Year listed: 2004
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Historic function: Religion
Current function: Vacant/Not In Use
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2007 To: 12/31/2007
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Privately owned?: Not Listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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