ALTON - On Sunday, August 3, 1924, the Jewish Community Home of Wood River and Alton held a fundraising picnic at Rock Spring Park. Many people from the area came out to support the cause. There were “a large number from out of the city at the picnic, and a good attendance from Alton, not only of people of the Jewish faith but others.” Various booths, a band concert, and dancing marked the occasion.
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The Jewish Community Home and Synagogue trace their origins to New Year’s Eve of 1923. On that evening, the Alton and Wood River Jewish League threw their first ball to raise funds for a new facility. Four hundred fifty people attended the function and were entertained by an eight-piece orchestra.
At about this time, the Methodist churches on Wesley Street in Upper Alton and on Washington Avenue in Alton were merging. The churches put both of their buildings up for sale to finance a consolidated Methodist church on Main Street. The Alton and Wood River Jewish League purchased the Washington Avenue building. The local Ku Klux Klan bought the Wesley Street church.
By 1925, the Jewish Community Home had renamed itself Temple Israel, and it had become an important place for communal and religious life. One interesting aspect of Temple Israel’s history is its importance to Jewish cadets at Western Military Academy. It was a strict rule at the Academy that each cadet attend religious services on Sunday. Until the Jewish Community Home was organized, Jewish cadets were compelled to attend a Christian service on Sunday morning. Those Jewish cadets and their families were extremely grateful for Temple Israel.
After 40 years on Washington Avenue, Temple Israel broke ground on a new building in Godfrey. The congregation moved into 1414 West Delmar Ave. in September 1965. When the new Temple Israel building was consecrated, the congregation walked the Torah from the old building on Washington to the new one on Delmar.
At its height, more than 150 households were members, and Temple Israel had a flourishing religious school. But over time, membership declined as children grew up and families moved elsewhere. In 2004, Temple Israel sold its building to River of Life Community Church and bought the former Christian Science Reading Room at 609 West Delmar Ave.
While there are still Jewish families in the area, Temple Israel closed its doors in 2019 due to dwindling attendance, and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum holds the Temple Israel, Alton/Godfrey, IL Collection as part of their St. Louis Jewish Community Archives. But Temple Israel’s legacy does live on. The congregation donated one of its two beloved Torahs to Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community in St. Louis. The other went to Har Shalom of Missoula, Mont. After a joyful but bittersweet Torah-passing ceremony, the Montana-bound scroll left on its journey with two representatives for Har Shalom. The Torah got its own seat on the plane.
Sources
“A New Beginning.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), July 17, 2004.
“Congregation of Temple Israel Moves to New Building.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), October 2, 1965.
“Drive on to Raise Funds for Jewish Community Home.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), May 12, 1924.
Feldman, Ari. Before This Small Temple Closes, It’s Giving Its Torah To Another Community In Montana. The Jewish Daily Forward, August 23, 2019.https://forward.com/fast-forward/430139/temple-israel-illinois-closing-torah-synagogue/
“Jewish Community Home Gives Successful Picnic.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), August 04, 1924.
“Jewish League Enjoys First Ball.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), January 02, 1924.
“Jewish Picnic for Benefit of Church.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), August 01, 1924.
“Patriotic Service at Temple Israel Sunday.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), February 23, 1925.
Solomon, Carol Wolf. “As small Illinois temple closes, it donates Torah to Montana Congregation.” St. Louis Jewish Light, August 22, 2019.https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/as-small-illinois-temple-closes-it-donates-torah-to-montana-congregation/
“Services at Jewish Community Home.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), April 26, 1924.
Solomon, Carol Wolf. “COVID-19 cancels farewell event for Illinois temple shutting down.” St. Louis Jewish Light, March 26, 2020.https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/covid-19-cancels-farewell-event-for-illinois-temple-shutting-down/
“Temple Israel Jewish Center for Community.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), September 15, 1928.
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