The B'nai Abraham Synagogue is a 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 ...

congregation and

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 ...

, now repurposed as a Jewish history museum and performance venue, located in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, in the United States. It was constructed in 1909 as the first purpose-built synagogue on the

Iron Range The Iron Range is collectively or individually a number of elongated iron-ore mining districts around Lake Superior in the United States and Canada. Much of the ore-bearing region lies alongside the range of granite hills formed by the Giants ...

. It served as the heart of the local Jewish community in the early 20th century. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1980 for its local significance in the themes of religion and social history. It was nominated for attesting both to the ethnic diversity of the Iron Range and to the commonality of its immigrant groups maintaining cohesion around religious centers. With A declining congregation forced the synagogue to close its doors in the mid-1990s. However, community support and renovations have preserved B'nai Abraham as a museum and cultural center.

Background

Virginia became a hub of lumber and mining industry in the 1890s. Jewish merchants and clerks soon settled in the newly established town. In 1894, Jews from Virginia and nearby communities began to hold religious services in Virginia's old North Pole Hall. Most of Virginia's Jewish population were immigrants from an area of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

that is now

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. As the town boomed, so too did its Jewish population. Members of Virginia's growing Jewish community founded the congregation of B'nai Abraham in 1905. They held their first meeting in Virginia's Socialist Opera House on November 20. Their first goal was the construction of a synagogue. Other Iron Range synagogues in

Hibbing Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. The city was built on mining the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range and still relies on that industry today. At the edge of ...

and

Eveleth Eveleth is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Decker Eveleth, American researcher *Rose Eveleth, American podcast host, producer, designer, and animator See also *Eveleth, Minnesota Eveleth is a city in St. Louis County, Mi ...

were converted churches. B'nai Abraham was the first synagogue to be built on the Range.

Origin and use

The women of the congregation formed the B'nai Abraham Ladies' Aid Society in 1908. They began to raise funds for the construction of a synagogue and were very successful. Among their contributions to the building effort was the donation of $700 () to purchase one of B'nai Abraham's 13

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows. The Ladies' Aid Society continued long after the synagogue's construction was complete. The group of women called themselves the Sunshine Club. They visited sick members of the congregation, hosted community events, and assisted new Jewish immigrants in the area. The synagogue served as the heart of Virginia's tightly interwoven Jewish community. Visiting

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

s conducted services.

Holidays A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

and

Bar Mitzvahs A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they ar ...

were celebrated in the synagogue. B'nai Abraham was also used as a gathering place for weddings, birthdays, and retirements. The synagogue served as a meeting place for the Virginia chapters of several Jewish organizations including

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International ( ; from ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish service organization and was formerly a cultural association for German Jewish immigrants to the United States. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the se ...

and Hadassah. The synagogue's distinctive stone foundation, windows,

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

style, and red brick exterior make B'nai Abraham one of Virginia's most recognizable landmarks. In 1980 B'nai Abraham was the first Minnesota synagogue to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Decline and restoration

During the second half of the twentieth century, the Jewish population on the Iron Range declined. Falling membership had the forced the closure of synagogues in Hibbing, Chisholm, and Eveleth. By 1990 B'nai Abraham was the last synagogue on the Iron Range. In the mid-1990s B'nai Abraham also closed its doors. By 2002 the congregation had declined to two members. That year the building was listed as one of the most threatened historic structures in Minnesota. In 2004 a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, the Friends of B'nai Abraham, formed to save the building. They acquired it from its previous owners and began to restore the historic building with the help of state and local grants as well as donations. The building reopened in the summer of 2008, and was managed by the Friends organization.

B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center

It is used as a cultural center and museum and includes a permanent exhibit documenting the history of Jewish settlement on the Iron Range. In 2020, Friends of B'nai Abraham conveyed building ownership responsibility for management of the building to the nonprofit organization, Northern Lights Music Festival, which used the building as a performance venue and to expand musical offerings by the organization. The Northern Lights non-profit became solely responsible for management of the building.

Gallery

File:B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center-front.jpg, Front exterior File:B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center-santuary-performance area.jpg, Sanctuary performance area File:B'nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center-east windows.jpg, East windows File:B'nai Abraham-Performance.jpg, Performance File:B'nai Abraham-Mounting stained glass widow supports.jpg, Mounting stained-glass window supports File:B'nai Abraham-interior before restoration in 2005.jpg, Interior before restoration

References

External links

Friends of B'nai Abraham

Northern Lights Music Festival
{{National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota 1905 establishments in Minnesota 20th-century synagogues in the United States Buildings and structures in Virginia, Minnesota Former synagogues in Minnesota Jewish organizations established in 1905 Lithuanian-American culture in Minnesota Lithuanian-Jewish culture in the United States National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis County, Minnesota Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Russian-American culture in Minnesota Russian-Jewish culture in the United States Synagogues completed in 1909 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places Synagogues preserved as museums