hclib:NOW ON VIEW IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONSNorth Star of David: Jews in MinneapolisAlthough the first s
hclib:NOW ON VIEW IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONSNorth Star of David: Jews in MinneapolisAlthough the first synagogue in Minnesota wasactually in St. Paul, Minneapolis became the heart of Twin Cities Jewish lifeas immigration continued—North Minneapolis specifically. As anti-Semitic fervorand pogroms gained momentum across the Atlantic, demographics of Jewishimmigrants to Minnesota switched from German to eastern European. For the 19th and much of the 20th century, Jews primarily made their living asmerchants, partly because they were barred from other professions. Initiallythe community settled among their forebears along 6th Ave N. (currentlyOlson Memorial Hwy), close to the center of business downtown. Minneapolis was not immune to nationwide patterns ofred-lining, white flight, and suburbanization. The Jewish North Minneapoliscommunity was razed to make room for the Sumner Field Housing Project in 1936,and Jews resettled along Plymouth Ave N. Gradually, as Jewish immigrantsassimilated and gained financial success, and as Jewish soldiers returned fromWorld War II looking to build or buy houses with their GI Bill benefits, Jewsvacated North Minneapolis in favor of inner-ring suburbs like St. Louis Parkand Golden Valley. Indeed, a full 94 percent of North Minneapolis’ Jewishcommunity moved away between 1957 and 1971.The North Minneapolisneighborhoods once populated by a rich tapestry of African American and Jewishmiddle class residents faced disinvestment and disrepair. Driving through NorthMinneapolis today, few signs remain of the synagogues, delis, and bustlingstreetcar lines that once thrived there.Learn more and view materials related to the history of Jews in Minneapolis on display in Special Collections now through January 2018. More photos can be viewed in the Hennepin County Library Special Collections. This Tumblr post was researched and written by Minneapolis Central Librarian Ray L. Ray’s complementary book display of circulating books on Jews in Minneapolis will be on display on the 4th floor through October. -- source link
#my family!#jewish