'Didn't want the synagogue to die': Council Bluffs' new living history museum
Although the Jewish population in Council Bluffs has diminished over time, a new museum is honoring the once-vibrant culture.
Although the Jewish population in Council Bluffs has diminished over time, a new museum is honoring the once-vibrant culture.
Although the Jewish population in Council Bluffs has diminished over time, a new museum is honoring the once-vibrant culture.
A memorial wall in Council Bluffs is inscribed with Hebrew names and imbued with history.
"My grandmother, my grandfather prayed here in the main sanctuary," Howard Kutler said.
They prayed at B'nai Israel Synagogue, originally called Chevra B'nai Yisroel. Decades later, Kutler is as devoted to this house of worship as his ancestors once were.
"There's nothing that makes me happier to say that I'm a part of keeping it alive," said Kutler.
The synagogue stands alone off Broadway. The original structure burned down in 1930. They rebuilt, and that temple remains open today.
"The chairs are the original chairs up in the balcony, and the pews are the original pews," explained Mary-Beth Muskin.
Some 200 Jews once called the Iowa city home.
"Now, maybe there's a handful left that live in Council Bluffs. Most of them have moved out of town," said Janie Fox Kulakofsky.
Although quieter today, Kutler, Muskin and Kulakofsky still see the synagogue as a touchstone for Judaism in the Midwest.
"I knew that we didn't want the synagogue to die," Kulakofsky said.
This team decided to breathe new life into it by refashioning classrooms and offices into a “living history museum,” just feet from where congregants still come to pray.
"What can you do with that little synagogue that gives it some staying power?" Muskin said. "We have this beautiful opportunity to turn this into something that can add something different to our community."
It's a broader community that has not always been welcoming to Jewish residents.
"People have left serious threats," Kutler said.
Hateful voicemails and vandalism have cast their shadow on the synagogue, including on Jewish holidays.
"I spent the entire day working with the police department instead of praying," Muskin said.
That prejudice makes the museum's mission ever more essential, the trio agrees.
"It makes me feel that we need to work harder," said Muskin, adding they have added security. "This country was built on diversity and on people, you know, extending and learning about each other. And that's what this effort is."
The fabric of a once-tightly-knit community is on display, along with the ways Jewish businesses and leaders left their mark on Council Bluffs.
"You're sort of walking in their shoes when you walk in the door," Muskin said. "You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been."