The history of the Jewish community on the Iron Range has a new focus. The newly restored B’Nai Abraham Synagogue, in Virginia, is part of the Range’s history that many have forgotten. While Jews were never a dominant social group on the Iron Range, Jews migrated to the area along with others after the discovery of iron ore in the 1890s. By 1910, there were over 77,000 residents on the Iron Range, and almost 1,000 were Jewish.

Today, there is little left of Virginia’s Jewish heritage. But last weekend, hundreds of people came together to celebrate B’Nai Abraham’s 100th anniversary.

Fifth-generation descendents of some of B’Nai Abraham’s founding members helped lead a Shabbat service on July 10, and the synagogue was filled to overflowing. As ancient prayers were spoken, the power of history came alive.

The service was not led by a Rabbi, but by Bonnie Resnick, whose family traces its roots back to the founding of B’Nai Abraham, along with many others involved with the restoration of the synagogue. As Resnick’s twin teenage daughters read from the Torah during the service, they represented the fifth-generation of the Milavetz family to read from the Torah at the pulpit of B’Nai Abraham.

The service recognized all those who had helped in the restoration of the building, members of the board of Friend of B’Nai Abraham, Jews currently living in Virginia and on the Iron Range, and descendants of the Virginia families who were members of the synagogue. Jean and Barry Steiger, who were celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary, were also recognized. Jean had wanted to get married at B’Nai Abraham, but ended up getting married in the Twin Cities.

Jews on the Range

The immigrant Jewish community quickly established a presence in the commercial life of the Range. They were grocers, clothing and dry goods shop owners, butchers and jewelers. Almost two dozen buildings on Chestnut Streets trace their roots to Jewish merchants, including the Maco Theater, White Drug, Grande’s Ace Hardware and Ben Franklin buildings.

In 1905, a group of 18 Jewish families formed the first Jewish congregation, B’Nai Abraham, on the Iron Range. In 1909, Jewish residents in Virginia numbered 120 and the community decided to build a synagogue. Merchants who traveled east to purchase goods for their shops visited other synagogues to gather design ideas. When they retured, they hired a Jewish contractor from Chisholm to erect the red brick, neo-Romanesque style synagogue, with stained glass windows, that still sits today at the intersection of Fifth Street and Fourth Avenue.

B’Nai Abraham’s congregation dwindled, and by 1990, there were not enough members to keep the synagogue open. Family members from the Twin Cities would travel up to Virginia on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to insure there was a “minion,” the ten members required to hold an official service.

The remaining congregants were not able to keep the building in good repair, but in 2005, a nonprofit group, Friends of B’Nai Abraham, formed to help preserve and restore this unique piece of Iron Range and Jewish history.

With a dedicated group of local volunteers, including members of local historical societies and descendents of the families who founded the synagogue, the restoration process got underway. The Virginia Area Historical Society was a partner for the restoration project. Caryl Tamte, Harry Lamppa and Louise Grams have helped with the project over the years, and continue to assist in the operation of the building as a museum.

The synagogue has been reborn as a museum and cultural center. Exhibits inside the building detail Jewish life on the Iron Range, along with Jewish culture. The synagogue’s stained glass windows were lovingly restored. The building was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1985. Self-guided tours of historic Jewish commercial sites on Chestnut Street and historic Jewish residences in Virginia are available.

B’Nai Abraham today

The synagogue will be used to host cultural events and occasional Jewish services. The museum is open twice a week during the summer and by appointment. The building will not be an active synagogue and does not have its own Torah. For the July 10 service, a synagogue in the Twin Cities lent a Torah. The interior of the synagogue has many of the original items, a beautifully decorated ark, wooden pews and the restored stained glass windows.

The synagogue is open for tours on Wednesday and Friday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. during the tourist season, or can be arranged by calling the Virginia Area Historical Society at 218-741-1136 in advance.

Information used in this article came from a history compiled by Marilyn J. Chiat, Ph.D. More information online at www.ironrangejewishheritage.org.