Once, a vibrant Jewish community with four synagogues existed on the Iron Range. Today, the B’nai Abraham Synagogue built in 1909 in Virginia, Minnesota, is the only one remaining. B’nai Abraham’s significance was recognized in 1980 when it became the only Minnesota synagogue listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Trust for Preservation.
In the late 1990s, the synagogue was forced to close its doors because the number of congregants had declined dramatically. The building still houses many treasures, including its original Aron Ha Kodesh, memorial plaques and beautiful stained glass windows.
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| B'nai Abraham spring 2006 |
The Jews who grew up in Virginia have fond memories of events at the synagogue and love to share their stories. One man remembers being “kidnapped” while taking out the garbage by men needing to complete a minyon. (A minyon is a quorum of ten Jewish men over the age of 13 traditionally required for a Jewish service.)
Many recall a “Mr. Jaffee,” who conducted services, maintained the building, and trained the boys for their Bar Mitzvah. Student rabbis sometimes came to Virginia to conduct services for the High Holy Days. In more recent times, members of the congregation and their families led services.
Besides the holidays, Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and other special events, such as anniversaries and birthdays were celebrated there. The building served as a “community center,” the meeting place for B’nai Brith, Hadassah/Council and Federation.
A well-remembered celebration is the Simcht Torah, during which the children paraded around the sanctuary with small flags. They were treated with caramel apples and thick corned beef sandwiches made by the “Ladies Aid.” (Simcht Torah is a holiday that celebrates the annual completion of the reading of the Torah scroll of the Five Books of Moses.)
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| Funeral 1950s |
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| Sunshine Club - early years |
Virginia Jewish Families, like other ethnic and religious groups, hoped their teen age children would have opportunities to meet other Jewish children and marry someone from the same religious background. The BA hosted monthly Young Judea meetings, and young people from all over the Range convened there to learn more about their religion and culture, and to socialize with one another.
Although the synagogue was built with a balcony for women, in later years, only a few elderly women sat there. Most of the other women sat near the rear of the sanctuary. Eventually, the balcony became a favorite hiding place for the children.
In 2002 the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota listed the Synagogue one of the as 10 most endangered historic buildings in Minnesota. https://www.mnpreservation.org/portfolio.ten02.php
The Friends of B’nai Abraham Synagogue hope to work with other individuals and organizations to preserve this historic structure in time to celebrate its centennial in 2009. The loss of the Virginia synagogue would reverberate beyond the Jewish community. It would be a tragic loss to the entire Iron Range.
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