Temple Israel
Temple Israel
Frontier Jewish synagogue in Leadville may be world's highest Jewish house of worship
Temple Israel
✡ Jewish (Reform) | Leadville, CO
Originally constructed in 1884 and restored in 2008, Temple Israel served a large and active community of pioneering Reform Jews until about 1914. Today it houses a museum run by the Temple Israel Foundation, documenting Jewish life in a late-1800s mining town. The building was designed by George King in a style called Carpenter Gothic, complementing St. George’s Episcopal Church across the street. An interpretive sign outside the building calls it a “frontier synagogue,” and online commentary suggests an architectural significance to this term (though I’ve not been able to discover its source or meaning). At an elevation of about 10,000 feet, Temple Israel may be the highest Jewish house of worship in the world.
Temple Israel Foundation | Jewish Museum of the American West