Des Moines' oldest synagogue celebrates 150 years serving Jewish community

Members of Temple B'Nai Jeshurun, which in 1873 became the first established Jewish congregation in Des Moines, had already been worshipping together for more than a half-century when leaders began planning a new temple for their home.

They envisioned "a handsome white stone edifice" with room for religious and community gatherings, according to a Register report from Oct. 23, 1930.

The regal building that stands at 5101 Grand Ave. in Des Moines, which opened in 1932, still serves as the home for Iowa's first reform congregation, a more progressive branch of the Jewish faith. That congregation has now reached the milestone of 150 years and remains a historic pillar of the Jewish community in Des Moines and Iowa.

Through that century and a half, in times of joy and sorrow, the focus has remained on community, leaders say.

The temple's anniversary comes amid heightened security measures as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. Temple leaders were forced to push back their original celebration because of the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli towns that killed at least 1,200 people. Today, the temple keeps its doors locked for safety as calls for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza grow and Jewish people across the country report a rise in anti-Semitic attacks.

Nonetheless, leaders are commemorating the milestone and the temple's impact on its members, metro Des Moines and the state with events that continue in upcoming months.

"We have had 150 years of baby namings, b'nai mitzvah, confirmations, weddings, meals of consolation, programs, and celebrations shared as a community that remains vibrant today," the temple's 150th anniversary committee said in a statement to the Des Moines Register.

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Services at Temple B'nai Jeshurun today

The temple was run out of a rented hall until its members bought and converted a building off of Seventh and Mulberry streets. The congregation later erected its first temple at the southwest corner of Eighth and Pleasant streets until growing membership prompted the decision to build on the Grand Avenue site.

Today, Temple B'nai Jeshurun holds Shabbat services on Friday nights and Saturday mornings that bring the Jewish community together. Every first Friday of the month, Rabbi Neal Schuster, who has been the rabbi at Temple B'nai Jeshurun since 2022, leads family Shabbat services, which include a prayer book oriented toward children.

There are also special Shabbat services throughout the year designed for families with young children, such as zoo Shabbat at Blank Park Zoo and a pet Shabbat service.

Additionally, services are held for other Jewish holidays including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah, Hanukkah and Purim.

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Delayed anniversary held three months later

On Feb. 24, Temple B'nai Jeshurun officially celebrated 150 years with a night of connecting with old and new friends and being together for Shabbat. More than 150 people shared a silent auction, music, food and camaraderie.

"The number of people who turned up from all across the community and just had a wonderful evening of being together and everything, it was really nice. It was a lot of fun," Schuster said. "It was very, very meaningful."

Originally scheduled for Nov. 4, the temple rescheduled the 150th celebration after the Oct. 7 attack "because it was not the appropriate time for that type of celebration," said Emily Kruse, board president of Temple B'nai Jeshurun.

For Schuster, the celebration could not be had without the recognition of the strength of the Jewish people and what they have been through.

"We have this expression in Hebrew, 'Gam zeh ya'avor,' meaning, 'This too shall pass.' But this shall not pass by being passive and waiting, but by working hard to return to times of joy and strength and celebration," Schuster said.

Kruse described the event as "a great success and a chance to recognize the history and the fact that we've been here for so long and are still here and plan to continue to be here."

The temple also plans to hold monthly food drives and tailor its regular services to the 150th anniversary. It also held a community pancake breakfast in August and celebrated Hanukkah last year by bringing in 150 dreidels to spin all at once.

"All funds raised at special events throughout the year will go to the Temple's endowment to ensure our next 150 years," Kruse said. "As a result, we will remain a strong, vital hub of Jewish life in central Iowa."

More events celebrating Temple B'nai Jeshurun's 150th anniversary will be announced on the temple's Facebook page.

"Really our main goal when talking about events for the year was we want people to come together," Kruse said. "We, as a community, like to be together. We like being with each other."

Temple a pillar of Des Moines Jewish community

According to the temple's website, the temple still holds to the goals of its founders: "to maintain a synagogue as a center of worship, religious education and communal gathering; to foster a 'living Judaism' not only in the Temple, but also in the homes and lives of its members and their families; and to adjust the teachings and practices of old to the needs of each new generation of American Jews."

In 2016, the temple made space for the Orthodox Beth El Jacob congregation when that congregation made the difficult decision to close due to declining membership. Now just four synagogues are active in central Iowa, including one in Ames, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines.

"There's this invigorating sense of 'It's only our first 150 years, and we've been here since the earliest days,'" Schuster said. "We're here now in this exciting time for the city of Des Moines, the community."

"I think there are some people in Des Moines that would be surprised to know that there is a Jewish community here in town," Kruse said. "We're all your friends and neighbors. That sounds so cheesy, but like, you know, we're here. We have kids that go to school with your kids. We are involved in the community."

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Des Moines is celebrating 150 years