List of synagogues in Oklahoma

In 1890, the Jewish population of Oklahoma Territory was estimated to be about 100 people. By statehood in 1907, that number grew to about 1,000. The peak of Oklahoma Jewish population occurred in the 1920s with a total population of about 7,500.^[1] In 2003, 2,300 Jews resided in Oklahoma City and 2,600 in Tulsa. Reform, Conservative, and Chabad congregations serve both of these communities. In 1916 there were seven small-town congregations including Enid, Hartshorne, and Chickasha. This number has dwindled to three Reform congregations located in Muskogee, Ponca City, and Seminole, with congregational membership between fourteen and twenty-two people.^[1]

Notable Oklahoma Jews have included Oklahoma Secretary of Health and state senator Tom Adelson; historian Daniel J. Boorstin; Oklahoma State Treasurer Robert Butkin; Oklahoma City School Board and Chamber of Commerce president Seymor C. Heyman; businessman and philanthropist George Kaiser; financier Henry Kravis; actor and filmmaker Tim Blake Nelson; actor Tony Randall; and Alexander Sondheimer, Oklahoma's first court reporter. The philanthropy of Charles and Lynn Schusterman has helped to establish Tulsa's Jewish Community Center, the Judaic Studies program at the University of Oklahoma,^[2] the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Texas,^[3] and the Israel studies program at Brandeis University^[4]

This is a list of Oklahoma synagogues.

Name	Location	Movement	Status	Notes
B'nai Emunah Congregation	1719 S Owasso Ave, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120	Conservative		Founded in 1916, as an Orthodox congregation.[1] It originated from a minyan of Latvian immigrants in 1903.[2]
Beth Torah Synagogue, Chabad House	6622 S Utica Ave, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136	Chabad Lubavitch
Chabad Community Center for Jewish Life and Learning	3000 W Hefner Road, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120	Chabad Lubavitch
Emanuel Synagogue	900 NW 47th St, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118	Conservative		Founded in 1904.
Hillel Jewish Student Center at OU	494 Elm Ave, Norman, Oklahoma 73069	Pluralist
Temple B'nai Israel	4901 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112	Reform		Formed in May 1903, Temple B'nai Israel is the oldest active Jewish congregation in Oklahoma. In the beginning, the congregation was run by student rabbis from Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati. Arthur Lewinsohn was elected as rabbi in 1904.[5] Rabbi Joseph Blatt ran the congregation from 1906 to 1946, and consulted in the formation of Enid, Shawnee, Ardmore and Tulsa's congregations.[6] From 1906 to 1916 Joseph Blatt was the only full-time rabbi in Oklahoma.[7] Rabbi Joseph Levenson (1946–1976), Rabbi A. David Packman (1976–2004), and Rabbi Barry Cohen (2004-2012). Rabbi Vered Harris became the congregation's spiritual leader in July, 2012.[8]
Temple Bethahaba	206 S 7th St, Muskogee, Oklahoma 74401	Reform	Inactive	The congregation was founded in 1905 [2][9] until when the temple closed in 2011.[10]
Temple Emanuel	Highland & Poplar, Ponca City Oklahoma 74601	Reform
Seminole Hebrew Center	402 W Seminole Ave Seminole, OK 74868	Reform
Temple Israel	2004 E 22nd Pl, Tulsa Oklahoma 74114	Reform		Founded in 1914; located since 1955 in a building designed by architect Percival Goodman.
Temple Emeth	Ardmore, Oklahoma	Reform	Inactive	Ardmore had the first Jewish community in Oklahoma to organize formally, in 1890.[1] Temple Emeth was organized as a Reform congregation in 1907, and closed in 2004[2][11]
Congregation Emanuel	North Independence and East Maple, Enid, Oklahoma	Reform	Inactive	In 5680, the congregation had 12 members of a Jewish population of 50 in Enid.[12] The congregation was formed between 1909 and 1910.[13] The Temple Emanuel Congregation of Enid was officially chartered in May 1911. Its founding trustees were Albert Hirsch, Harry B. Wolf, Robert Aronberg, Charles Lowenstein, Marinus Godschalk, and Herbert L. Kaufman.[14] It was affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations from 1910-1919.[15] Rabbi Joseph Blatt of Oklahoma City was their rabbi.[13] It held services in English during festivals, and had Sabbath school. Local men's furnishings salesman, Harry B. Woolf, served as president.[12] The congregation met at the Loewen Hotel,[13] once located at the corner of North Independence and East Maple.[16] The Loewen Hotel, originally founded by Jewish resident Al Loewen, was purchased by Milton C. Garber in 1917 and renamed the Oxford, which burned down in the 1970s.[16] Enid also had a 20 member B'nai B'rith lodge, with Sol Newman as president.[17]
B'nai Abraham	407 Chickasha Avenue, Chickasha, Oklahoma		Inactive	Formed in 1915, the congregation held services in Hebrew for a Jewish population of 125.[12]
B'nai Israel	Penna Avenue, Hartshorne, Oklahoma		Inactive	The congregation formed in 1916, held services in Hebrew. It served a Jewish population of 18.[12]
B'nai HaShem	Valliant, Oklahoma		Renewal	The havura has a total of 8 members, of a steadily growing Jewish population.

Other Jewish Organizations in Oklahoma

Name	Location
Jewish Federation of Tulsa	Zarrow Campus, 2021 E. 71st St, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City	710 West Wilshire, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116
Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center	Zarrow Campus, 2021 E. 71st St, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art	Zarrow Campus, 2021 E. 71st St, Tulsa, Oklahoma

See also

• Oldest Synagogues in the United States, Temple Emeth

References

1. Shevitz, Amy Hill, "Jews", Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture.
2. Oklahoma
3. About the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies
4. Mission | Schusterman Center for Israel Studies | Brandeis University
5. Olitzky, Kerry M. and Raphael, Marc Lee, "Oklahoma," The American synagogue: a historical dictionary and sourcebook, page 296
6. Tobias, Henry J., Jews in Oklahoma, page 34
7. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Volume 8, 1942, page 292
8. Wauhob, Shane, "Jewish Synagogues in Oklahoma", 24 April 2009, http://www.articlealley.com/article_868151_29.html
9. Sue Fishkoff, "Rural Shuls Make Do Without Rabbis", Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, September 8, 2005.
10. "Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities - Muskogee, Oklahoma", ISJL
11. Ardmore, Oklahoma - Temple Emeth Records
12. Adler, Cyrus and Szold, Henrietta, "Oklahoma" The American Jewish Year Book, Volume 21, American Jewish Committee, pgs 535-536, 1919.
13. Friedenwald, Herbert, "Oklahoma", The American Jewish Year Book, Volume 12, American Jewish Committee, p. 273
14. "Charters", The Daily Oklahoman, May 30, 1911
15. The American Jewish Yearbook, Vols 12-21, American Jewish Committee.
16. Buchanan, James Shannon, Chronicles of Oklahoma: Volume 83, Oklahoma Historical Society, 2005, p. 133.
17. The National Jewish monthly: Volumes 52-54, B'nai Brith, 1938, p 284