Congregation Sharey Tzedek Synagogue

This historic synagogue was home to the shortest-lived Jewish congregation in Utah. It was built in 1920 for Congregation Sharey Tzedek, which existed only into the 1930s. The synagogue was the fourth built in Utah and was designed in the Romanesque style. The congregation formed in 1916 as a splinter group from the Montefiore Synagogue. The Sharey Tzedek Synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

In 1916, some members of Congregation Montefiore who disagreed with how services were being conducted decided to form their own congregation. Construction of the Sharey Tzedek synagogue was completed in 1920. Governor Simon Bamberger, who was Jewish, attended the dedication on March 28. Members of the new congregation were primarily Russian and Eastern European-born Jews who spoke Yiddish. The congregation practiced Orthodox Judaism but earned a reputation for being energetic and unruly. As a result, its members became known as "bolsheviks," which was a reference to their pre-revolutionary Russian backgrounds. It is unclear why the congregation disbanded in the 1930s. In 1946, the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) bought the former synagogue. It appears the VFW occupied it for a number of years. It is currently owned by an architecture company specializing in designing healthcare facilities.

"Congregation Sharey Tzedek Synagogue." National Register of Historic Places Structure/Site Information. June 27, 1985. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/85001396_text.