News and information about being Jewish and living in Iowa from Beth El Jacob - the Orthodox Congregation of Des Moines.
The Wall Street Journal carried this ad in the Wednesday (today) edition. (For a larger image just click on the photo)
For all the lousy press Israel gets it's nice to see something like this. What really would have been nice if the the various industries pictured would have given Israel credit.
Israel at 60! It's a celebration.
See you in shul
Beth El Jacob the Orthodox Jewish Congregation of Des Moines, Iowa.
Meet our friend Julian Preisler who is a professional genealogist and researcher. This past summer Julian sent us a note requesting information on several Jewish congregations in Iowa. In particular he was interested in gathering some photos for an e-book featuring the congregations of the United States.
We went ahead and got him some photos of Beth El Jacob, Adas Israel (Mason City) and some history about Beth El of Fort Dodge. We even made a visit to Hamilton Funeral home on the east side of Des Moines which was once the site of the Sons of Israel congregation. As time went on Julian kept us informed about his project. To be honest we had no idea of the scope.
Until he sent us a link the a sample of the book, "American Synagogues - A Photographic Journey" Volume One.
Remarkable. In the book there are roughly 3,200 photos of over 1,400 existing buildings from all across the United States. Some currently house Jewish congregations but sadly many more no longer serve as spiritual centers. Some have become churches, others homes and still other sit abandoned.
It's a wonderful look at history, architecture, and the migration of Jews across the country. (Here is a link directly to the Iowa portion of the e-book.) It is also a troubling work in the fact that where once stood vibrant Jewish Communities there are now empty shells.
But, as with anything we can choose to look at the bleak side of the story...or rededicate ourselves to making a stand for Judaism and build our community. It's a challenge that is much more clear when we view Julian Preisler's book.
"American Synagogues - A Photographic Journey" Volume One is available on CD-ROM for $18 which includes postage. You can call Julian Directly or feel free to send him an e-mail. More information is available on his Website.
Or...if you would like to order the CD-ROM through the Beth El Jacob office simply give us a call at 515-274-1551 and we'll handle the order and bill you.
In the memory of all those who have gone before us...it's the least we can do.
See you in Shul!
