First Jewish Religious Services
San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Marker Inscription
First Jewish Religious Services In a second floor room in a store which stood on this location, forty pioneers of Jewish faith gathered on Yom Kippur (5610) September 26, 1849, and participated in the first Jewish religious services in San Francisco. State Registered Landmark No. 462
Erected by California Centennials Commission
The Story
On Yom Kippur in September 1849, forty Jewish pioneers gathered in a second-floor room above a store on this site for the first Jewish religious services held in San Francisco. They had come west amid the Gold Rush that was transforming the city almost overnight. Their gathering marked the beginning of an enduring Jewish community in California.
Why it matters
The service marks the roots of Jewish life in the American West, one thread in the diverse immigrant tapestry drawn to California during the Gold Rush.
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Related events
- · California Gold Rush
Themes & tags
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