Temple Israel records

Temple Israel, originally called Shaarai Tov (Gates of Goodness), was founded in 1878 by German-speaking Jewish merchants. Their first house of worship, built in 1880, was located on Fifth Street between First Avenue (later Marquette Avenue) and Second Avenue South; in 1888 they would move to Tenth Street and Fifth Avenue South. In 1901 Shaarai Tov hired rabbi Samuel N. Deinard, an influential rabbi who helped grow the congregation. He acted as mediator between his Americanized congregants and the Eastern European Jewish immigrants who lived in North Minneapolis. Deinard also founded a local Jewish weekly newspaper, the American Jewish World, in 1912. In 1914, the congregation moved again, this time to the corner of West Twenty-Forth Street and Emerson Avenue South, and in 1920 changed their name to Temple Israel. In 1928 a new synagogue was built on the same site, this time by the firm of Jack Liebenberg and Seeman Kaplan; this neoclassical revival-style building remains a landmark overlooking Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis.

Rabbi Deinard died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1921. His successor was Rabbi Albert Minda, who acted as head rabbi from 1922 to 1963. Rabbi Max Shapiro, Temple Israel's assistant rabbi since 1955 succeeded Minda and was named rabbi emeritus in 1985. Marcia Zimmerman was hired as assistant rabbi in 1988 and in 2001 was named senior rabbi, making her the first woman senior rabbi of a congregation of more than two thousand families in the United States.

Temple Israel has long had active organizations in their congregation, including the Sisterhood which began in 1877 as the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society until 1903 when they reorganized to specifically serve the needs of Temple Israel. The Men's Club was established in 1922. The Temple Youth Group (TYG) was originated in 1952. Camp Teko, started in 1945, began as a day camp at Lake Nokomis until 1965 when the Men's Club developed a campsite at Lake Minnetonka. Temple Israel still resides in Minneapolis and is one of the ten largest congregations in the United States. Their website can be found at www.templeisrael.com.

Much more historical information can be found on Temple Israel: see Rabbi Albert G. Minda's publication The Story of Temple Israel: A Personal Account(1971), Temple Israel: A Brief History, 1878-1987by Rhoda G. Lewin, and Temple Israel: The First 85 Yearsby Roland Minda.