some remaining Jewish marks

 

The brick and stone ornaments on Ohel Jacob Anshe Sfard (Tent of Jacob Sephardic Congregation) 1925-1957 remain [infra & supra]. Cleveland proper had a Jewish population, and infrastructure for their religious communities. Almost all have moved to the eastern suburbs. A diminishing number of the buildings remain. Almost all were sold to Black Protestant congregations. Some congregations kept all the Jewish architectural signifiers, some removed them. Often replaced with with simple bare crosses with no artifice, some times tacky.

On E.140th, off of Kinsman, this synagogue has the shape of nearby apartment buildings. After 99 years, the brickwork is solid, stable, and simple. There is not much to look at, but the few ornaments are aesthetic. Their previous meeting place was a house on Scoville, the next on Lee, and then they merged with others. The last congregation on this site was Consolation New Revelation Missionary Baptist. It appears they may have ceased activity in 2018 after te pastor died. This migration, and occupation, and then extinction pattern is common in the area. Maltz Museum of Judaica has an exhibit with a lighted map that shows the waves of eastern movement of temples and synagogues. Often the next owner/occupant of the building is a Black Baptist church. Often, they last the life of the minister/pastor, and with his death the congregation may disappear, sometimes another congregation comes. It may not be the case here, but it does happen with some regularity.

Maybe, the oldest standing Jewish synagogue in Cleveland. This was the first Oheb Zedek 1905-22. Now for more than a century it has been a Baptist church.

Original yearstone has 5665 (Anno Mundi according to Maimonides) and 1905 (Anno Domini according to Dionysius Exiguus), and Oheb Zedek Congregation. Often these stones are replaced with a new stone, in this case a new stone was added. American Protestant churches very often have minister names on them.

Often Baptist churches attach such crosses. Notice, spelling is different from the stone.

After World War I, several synagogues were built in Cleveland. Above two entrances of the second Oheb Zedek 1922-53 are Stars of David. This is in Glenville very near the childhood homes of the creators of Superman. Parkwood, E.105, and a few other streets had many Jewish buildings; some are still there. Oheb Zedek combined with five other congregations, and built Taylor Road Synagogue in Cleveland Heights. For a time, Taylor Road was the largest Orthodox congregation between Chicago, and New York City. The second building changed hands, at least once, and looks vacant and decaying.

A mikveh (ritual bath) was in use on Morison until about 1940. It became a Baptist church. It looks abandoned.

Oer Chodosh (New Light) 1920-49

The last occupant was Elim Gospel Chapel. It is funny that a Hebrew named congregation's building becomes a Protestant building with a different Hebrew name. Elim was an oasis in Sinai, across the Red Sea.