The history of the Jews goes back centuries, and they have lived all over the world. They are people tied together foremost by religion. Anyone who believe in the Jewish God and follows Jewish tradition and laws can become Jewish. Therefore, there is no Jewish race.
A Jewish family may attend services each week at a Temple or Synagogue, the names for a religious place of worship. Also, the family may keep their Jewish traditions and culture alive by celebrating Hanukkah , Passover, or other holidays and enjoying certain Jewish foods like Challah bread or Latkes, potato pancakes.
Judaism teaches that there is only one God and that God is good, so people should be good to others. If people choose to do bad things and are evil, God will forgive them as long as they are really sorry.
The Jews believe they are chosen people because God chose to give them the laws. This means that Jews therefore have the obligation to teach others to love and respect God and one another. Jews do not want to convert everyone else to Judaism nor do they believe other religions are inferior.
Jews also believe that the Messiah has not yet come to the world to give peace and harmony to all people.
The most common Jewish symbol is the Star of David, a six pointed star. It has no connection with the Biblical King David, and its origins are unknown.
A special candlestick with nine branches used at Hanukkah is called a Menorah.
Jewish people believe that the first five books of the Bible are the most important. These books make up the Torah which is a handwritten scroll. The Torah is read aloud at the synagogue or temple, the place of worship. The Torah is the word of God, so it is the basis of Judaism.
In 1654, twenty-three refuges settled in New Amsterdam (New York), escaping the persecution of the Inquisition in Brazil. These Jews were originally from Spain and Portugal. In 1728 the first synagogue, place of worship, was built in this country.
Between 1830 and l880, great numbers of people came from Germany because of repressive laws and economic hardships which affected Jewish tradesmen in small towns.
As early as l856, St. Paul had the state's first synagogue, Mount Zion Temple. Between 1881 and 1924, nearly three million Jews emigrated from Europe to the United States. Most came from Eastern Europe -- Poland, Russia, Rumania, or Lithuania -- and stayed in eastern cities like New York. By 1907, approximately eight thousand Jews lived in Minneapolis.
By 1920 four thousand Jews lived in small Minnesota towns. Many opened family-owned businesses. Frequently, peddlers or salesmen of small items, junk collectors and dealers were Jewish since these businesses required little start-up money.
In the l800's, Jews were fleeing the czar's draft that would have required military service to a government that oppressed Jews. Others were fleeing pogroms, government massacres of Jews because they were considered "Christ killers." Other reasons beside freedom were opportunities for education and employment.
The immigrants worked long hours in sweatshops in New York, often in needle trades (clothing businesses), and earned train fare. For others, earlier family members paid for a ticket.
Also, some eastern Jewish philanthropists wanted to break up the heavy numbers of Jewish immigrants in the East and break the stereotype of Jew as tradesman or peddler. They gave money to Jewish people for homesteading in Minnesota.
Maybe their money ran out here, so it was as far west as they got!
More important, it was a town with many jobs. Businessmen sent agents to New York to bring new settlers here. Railroad companies set up temporary housing and advertised that Minnesota "contains more natural wealth within her borders than any other area of corresponding size on the face of the earth"! (MN History 1979)
Also, St. Paul advertised itself as the healthiest city in the world!
The first Jewish settler we know of is Isaac Marks. He came to LaCrosse in l846 from Prussia and established the first trading house for Winnebago Indians. The first Jewish settler in Winona Country was Dr. Rudolph Alberti who practiced medicine in l871.
By 1870, twenty Jewish families lived in La Crosse. They had no rabbi, but they continued Jewish traditions.
Early Jewish families began worshiping as an organized group in Winona around l890. Daily and weekly services were carried on in homes, and on Holy Days , they traveled to the Twin cities. Jewish religious education materials could be ordered from Chicago.
In l908, a rabbi from La Crosse celebrated Rosh Ha-shanah at the Winona Odd Fellows Hall.
The Miller family established businesses in Winona in the early 1900's. They kept their businesses closed on Saturdays, the traditional Jewish sabbath day. Also they raised their own chickens and a rabbi presided over the killing in order to follow Kosher food laws. The Miller family has contributed to the Winona community in keeping with the Jewish obligation of Tzedakah .
In the 1920's, the Jewish congregation was smaller, and transportation out of Winona had improved, so families joined congregations in larger cities rather than maintain a formal organization in Winona.
Jewish women founded the Winona chapter of Hadassah in l939. The purpose of the national group was to better the life of Jews in Palestine (part of which became Israel, a home to Jews) and in the United States. This work follows the traditional Jewish pattern set centuries ago of the group taking responsibility for the needy, ill, and aged.
Traditionally, Jewish services are held Friday evening, and Saturday is the Holy Day when rest and worship, not work, are expected. To adapt to the predominantly Christian ways of a small town, Jews began in the l940's to keep businesses open on Saturdays and to meet for services on Sundays. Children had usually met on Sundays for religious schooling.
Hebrew education for the children of Winona's Jewish families is important. In the 1940's a number of Jewish children gathered for Sunday School taught by a teacher who traveled down from Minneapolis. They met above the old Nash Department stores (now Bikes Unlimited) or at the Rudy Miller home. In the l950's, eleven Jewish children met each Sunday in the Miller home for Sunday School.
Today, as in the past, Jewish children learn the history of the Jewish people, their religious history, Jewish prayers, and the Hebrew language in which many of these prayers are chanted.
Both boys and girls study Jewish religion and culture in order to celebrate their adulthood in a special ceremony.
The Bar Mitzvah for boys and the Bat Mitzvah for girls are held at about age 13. The young teens learn to read Hebrew and chant or possibly read a section from the Torah. Jewish children, family and friends in Winona have celebrated the Bar and Bat Mitzvah in their homes, at Lake Lodge, and at other special places.
Maintaining Jewish culture and religion in small rural towns is difficult with no Jewish school, no synagogue or rabbi, and few families. But Winona's families are resourceful, creative, and enthusiastic about keeping the traditions and holidays of their faith.
The father of one family recites Jewish prayers each morning, wearing the traditional prayer scarf. Another family gathers every Friday night for the traditional Sabbath evening saying prayers, lighting candles, and enjoying a dinner together.
Ten Winona area families meet once a month to discuss topics of interest to the Jewish culture.
Some families belong to and attend services at the Rochester or La Crosse synagogues. Children may attend Sunday School there, though most Winona families teach their children at home.
Preparation for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah includes learning Hebrew, and this language may be taught by a professor at Winona State University.
All of the families enjoy the Holy Days and celebrate them at the synagogue or with families and friends at home. Hanukkah, Passover, and Sukkot are all celebrated by Winonans.
HOLY
DAYS
Traditional foods are eaten on the eve of Rosh Ha-shanah: challah, white
braided loaf of bread dipped in honey, and apples dipped in honey. Honey
symbolizes families' hopes for a sweet life in the new year.
Hanukkah celebrates the reclaiming of the Jewish temple from the Syrians who
worshiped Greek gods. The Syrian king had destroyed the Temple, killed Jewish
people, and sold children into slavery.
But one Jewish family, the Maccabees, cleverly defeated the Syrians. They
returned and rebuilt their Temple in Jerusalem. According to legend,
when they tried to relight the candle holder, called a Menorah, they found only
enough oil for one day. By a miracle, the oil burned for eight days.
For this holiday, the first candle in the Menorah is lit at sundown when Hanukkah
begins. Each night, another candle is lit until all are burning by the eighth
night. The Menorah is placed near the window so all who pass can see it.
Children receive a gift on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Also, they play
a game with a dreidel. It is a spinning top with Hebrew words on it
referring to the miracle of the burning oil during the time of the Maccabees.
Good food like latkes, potato pancakes, are eaten.
God told Moses that He would not punish Jewish families if they would slaughter a
lamb and smear the blood on their doorposts. Then God would pass over their
homes and not kill any Jewish children or animals. Hence, the term Passover
for this holiday.
To finish the story, the Pharaoh agreed to Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt,
but then decided this was a mistake because he thereby lost his slaves. But when his
army went to recapture the Jews, they had crossed the Red Sea since God had
parted the waters for them. The soldiers attempted to do the same, but the
waters came together, drowning them all.
When the meal is finished, a door is opened so that Ellijah, a prophet, can
enter. Of course, he is invisible, but everyone likes to think he joins the
Seder because he stands for hope.
Rosh Ha-shanah:
The Jewish New Year is a serious occasion. Jews believe their acts and thoughts
have all been written in the Book of Life. It is read on the first day, and
their fate for the year can be decided. However, during the following ten days
of solemn worship, Jews can ask to be forgiven for their sins.
Yom Kippur:
Sukkot:
On this holiday, one gives thanks for all things that grow and remembers the
difficult escape from Egypt by Jews in Biblical times. Children especially enjoy
helping build a "sukkah." Built from branches and other natural materials, the
sukkah is a booth or hut open at the top so that one can see the stars from
inside. Children enjoy sitting inside and even having a meal there. Fruit and
cake are traditional.
Hanukkah:
The "Festival of Lights" is a favorite of Jewish children. Gifts,
candle-lighting, games, good food, and ceremony mark this special occasion.
Passover:
This solemn holiday reminds the Jewish people of the time their ancestors were
freed from slavery. When the Jews lived in Egypt, they were slaves to Pharaoh.
When he refused God's wish to free these slaves, the Pharaoh and the Egyptian
people were punished. God demanded the death of the firstborn child and the calf
of every Egyptian family.
The seder meal is eaten the first two nights of Passover. Seder means
"order" because everyone at the table follows a strict order when eating. Often
families have a Seder plate which holds these special foods. Each food
eaten on this night symbolizes some part of the flight of the Jews from
Egypt:
