B'Nai Israel Synagogue is an historic former

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, and now

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, located at 126 South Main in

Cape Girardeau Cape Girardeau ( , ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540, making it the 17th-largest in the state. The city is one o ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, in the United States. It was erected in 1937 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is located in the Courthouse-Seminary Neighborhood Historic District.

History

The decision to build a synagogue for Cape Girardeau's Jewish community came following the destruction of their Torah. In 1937, a 450-year-old Torah was brought to the United States by Isaac Becker, a

Sikeston Sikeston () is a city located both in southern Scott County, Missouri, Scott County and northern New Madrid County, Missouri, New Madrid County, in the state of Missouri, United States. It is situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", althou ...

merchant. Isaac Becker had visited his father in Germany, who told him life for Jews in Germany was getting bad and that the book would be safer with him in the United States. Until that time, the

High Holiday In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, the ...

service was held in a number of locations: the local

Elks Club The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...

building, the Sturdivant Bank, the Presbyterian Church, the Community Building in Fairground Park. However, tragedy struck on February 27, 1937, when the book was lost as the Community Building - the building it had been stored at - had been consumed by fire. After the fire, it was decided that a permanent synagogue was needed for both the Jewish community to worship at and as a place to store the community's scrolls. The synagogue was designed by the Saint Louis architect Thomas P. Barnett Jr. who also designed other buildings in Cape Girardeau as well as the

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Completed in 1914, it is the mother church of the Archdioc ...

. The synagogue is located at 126 S. Main Street in Cape Girardeau's historic commercial district.

Architecture

The synagogue is a stuccoed brick, one-story building constructed in the

Spanish Colonial Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish architecture in general. Thes ...

style with Islamic influences. The building is covered in white stucco and red mission tiles. The building has a flap sloping roofline and red tiles along the parapet. A dome constructed of red painted sheet metal squares. A symmetrical band of decorative ceramic mosaic tiles form the base of the dome. Recessed Islamic pointed horseshoe arches provide openings on all three sides. Diamond pane casement windows with Islamic detail are arranged in the sides of the portico. To the south lies a gated area made of wrought iron with the Star of David molded into the iron.

References

1937 establishments in Missouri Buildings and structures in Cape Girardeau, Missouri Evangelical churches in Missouri Former synagogues in Missouri Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the United States Spanish Colonial Revival synagogues Synagogue buildings with domes Synagogues completed in 1937 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places 20th-century synagogues in the United States Churches converted from synagogues Synagogues in Missouri Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri {{US-synagogue-stub