About
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Address: 1119 Morgan Avenue North
Neighborhood: Near North
Construction Date: 1936
Contractor: Louis Fleisher
Architect: Frenzel & Bernstein
Architectural Style: Utilitarian
Historic Use: Religious - synagogue
Current Use: Religious - church
Date of Local Designation: 1998
Date of National Register Designation: N/A
Area(s) of Significance: Social History; Ethnic Heritage
Period of Significance: 1936-
Historic Profile: The Sharei Zedeck Synagogue remains a tangible link to the once thriving Orthodox Jewish population in near north Minneapolis. It was one of four synagogues built on the near north side in the early park of the 20th-century. The simplicity of Sharei Zedeck’s design was most likely influenced by financial hardships suffered during the Great Depression. The plain brick exterior is augmented by two massive stone arches which dominate the façade surrounding the double-leaf doors. The arches are decorated with menorahs arranged around a center brick pilaster. The framing of the building represents an early use of structural glued laminated timber arches which were widely used beginning in the 1950s. The synagogue was sold in 1969 to St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, reflecting the transition of the near north neighborhood from a Jewish to an African-American community.
Photo Credits:
1948, Minneapolis Star Tribune, courtesy of The Minnesota Historical Society
2006, Minneapolis CPED
Works Cited:
"City of Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Registration Form," May 1996.
Updated: February 2007