Established by Jewish farmers who became resort operators

Jewish life in Southwest Michigan started with the arrival of Jewish farmers from Eastern Europe. The Jewish farmers began to let rooms to vacationers looking to escape from Chicago and Detroit during the summer. Eventually, it became more profitable to run a resort than a farm, and many abandoned farming all together. From Chicago, vacationers traveled east across Lake Michigan in steamships to spend long summers on the South Haven beaches. At these primarily kosher Jewish resorts, they enjoyed the finest entertainment of the day at stylish resort pavilions. At its height, South Haven had sixty-three resorts run by Jewish immigrants for Jewish vacationers.

Following the 1927 merger of Jewish Farmers’ Synagogue and the Hebrew Education Alliance plans for a new synagogue building were commenced. In the spring of 1928, excavation began before the plans were fully completed. Architect C.C. Elwood of Elkhart, Indiana designed the building in a style that was then described as “Eastern European Orthodox”. Construction of the Cherrywood bimah was contracted to a Mr. Leiberman of Bangor, Maine.

On Sunday morning, July 21st, 1929, amidst great excitement and anticipation of entering their new home, the congregants of First Hebrew Congregation of South Haven organized an imposing parade of more than 150 cars. The dedication ceremonies were held outdoors in front of the building. It began with spirited music played by bands from the North Shore Pavilion, Samson’s Resort and Baron’s.

Years ago, one well known congregant, Pauline Cohen, on Shabbat would go to the police department, across Broadway, to ask one of the non-Jewish officers to switch off the lights in the synagogue, because it was against Jewish law for a Jew to do so on Sabbath.