Old B'Nai Zion Synagogue
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Congregation B'Nai Zion was chartered in 1900, and the 35 members initially met in private homes or rented space. This building, the first Jewish synagogue in El Paso, was completed in 1912. The structure features an unusual combination of classical and Gothic revival styling. After B'Nai Zion congregation moved to larger facilities in 1927, this building housed El Paso's First Eastern Orthodox Church. St. Nicholas Greek Church worshiped here for a quarter of a century. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1984.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1900 by 35 members who first gathered in homes and rented rooms, Congregation B'Nai Zion completed this building in 1912 as El Paso's first synagogue, its walls blending classical and Gothic revival details. After the congregation outgrew it in 1927, the sanctuary took on a second life as a Greek Orthodox church, home to St. Nicholas worshipers for a quarter century.
Why it matters
The building embodies the immigrant story of the American Southwest, where a Jewish community and later a Greek Orthodox one each found room to worship and belong on the border.
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Themes & tags
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