The oldest temple west of the Mississippi that is still in use, and the 14th oldest in the country
Temple Beth El was constructed in 1883 and is the oldest temple west of the Mississippi that is still in use, and the 14th oldest in the country. It is also one of the oldest houses of worship in Jefferson City, Missouri’s state capital.
Much of the following is excerpted from Temple Beth El’s website:
According to the history of Temple Beth El written by Mrs. Julius Meyerhardt in 1974, records indicate that there were Jewish settlers in Jefferson City as early as 1865. In 1879 nine Jewish men formed the Jefferson City Hebrew Cemetery Association to properly provide Jewish burials. At that time they also organized a congregation, naming it “Congregation Beth El”, which means House of God, to promote the reform Jewish faith.
On April 3, 1882, the six members of the Hebrew Ladies Sewing Society provided the funds to purchase a plot of land and construct the synagogue in the three hundred block of Monroe Street. One year later, in 1883, their house of worship was completed! The first service held in the newly completed temple was Rosh Hashanah of 1883. At that time the congregation consisted of about twelve families.
In October of 1883 the Jefferson City Daily Tribune newspaper published an article about the new synagogue. It was described as being thirty eight feet by twenty five feet and constructed of brick and stone trimmings. The building was designed by Jefferson City architect Frank B. Miller, who eventually became the city’s most prominent architect. Miller’s firm also did the brickwork on the building’s exterior.
For a brief period, during 1936 and 1937, Temple Beth El had a full time regular rabbi. However, the congregation was to small to support a full time rabbi. Since then, services have been primarily conducted by laymen. Although the congregation is not large, the temple continues to be vital and active, has a sisterhood that meets regularly and holds weekly Shabbat services as well as holiday services.
