Montana Jewish Project celebrates purchase of historic Helena synagogue

HELENA — The Montana Jewish Challenge celebrated their official buy of the Temple Emanu-El with a small group celebration on Friday morning.

“I can not consider a greater factor that I’ve performed since being the bishop for nearly three years than to have the ability to signal in the present day the Jewish synagogue again to the Jewish group,” says Bishop Austin Vetter of the Diocese of Helena.

Montana’s oldest synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, is listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations. In-built 1891 and offered to town of Helena in 1935 for $1, the constructing finally landed within the palms of the diocese for use as administrative workplaces.

In November of 2021, the diocese and the Montana Jewish Challenge (MJP) signed an settlement that allowed the sale of the property to return to fruition as soon as the funds had been secured.

The native, worldwide, and interfaith assist for this mission was simple. A number of companies, church buildings, and people helped make this switch of property a actuality.

“…so many alternative organizations. I imply, it actually has felt like that is coming collectively of so many alternative individuals who see the worth. And because the bishop mentioned, that’s uncommon, , on this time. It’s fairly uncommon,” says Rebecca Stanfel, MJP Co-Founder and President of the Board of the MJP.

In the end this buyback of Temple Emanu-El permits the Jewish group in Helena and past a spot to congregate and rejoice.

“We’re standing on the bottom of the group that constructed this and that’s superb to hold that dream ahead after they thought that it was useless in 1935. The importance is constructing coalitions, constructing assist throughout non secular teams, throughout individuals of all faiths and no religion . . . finally, there’s that Jewish phrase tikkun olam which suggests to restore the world. I believe in the present day we’re repairing the world a bit of bit and we’ll preserve doing that with all of those supporters that we’ve got,” says Stanfel.

The MJP plans to hire out the primary 2 flooring of the constructing whereas using the third and closing ground as a Jewish group heart.