In May 1858, a small group of men gathered together
at Portland's National Hotel to organize "a congregation for
the worship of the One Only Everlasting God, according to the ritual
of the Jewish faith." These discerning pioneers, mostly concerned
with making a living, recognized that the community would grow only
if religious needs could be met. They called the synagogue
Beth Israel and within a few years built a wood frame structure
at SW 5th and Oak. In a town that sported five churches, one school
and 55 saloons, Oregon's first synagogue emerged..
Life and Light initiates a series of exhibits about
the history of synagogues in Oregon. As the oldest in the
state, Congregation Beth Israel provides an auspicious beginning.
With a 146-year old history, the synagogue is older than the State
of Oregon. It outgrew three places of worship in less than five
decades. The exhibition interweaves the history of the synagogue
buildings and their expansion, the rabbis and the families
Through photographs, artifacts, documents and interviews it illustrates
the dramatic growth of this pioneer community and the sociological
changes within it, building a portrait that depicts the rich diversity
of our community and the achievements of Portland's oldest synagogue
and its members.
The exhibition has been funded in part through
generous donations from Stuart Durkheimer and the Community Initiative
Grant of the Jewish Federation of Portland.
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A raging fire on December 29,
1923 destroyed Beth Israel's second temple. |
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