Alaska has the smallest and most widely dispersed Jewish population out of all the 50 American states. More than half the Jews live in the two largest cities, Fairbanks and Anchorage. In The 1850's and 1860's, San Francisco Jews had developed extensive commericial ties with The Russian-American Company in Alaska and many Jewish fur traders regularly visited there. These Jewish fur traders played a major role in getting The United States to purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867. They later played a major role in running The Alaska Commercial Company that took over for The Russian-American Company. Soon after the purchase of Alaska, Jewish traders, miners, fur dealers, and merchants arrived from San Francisco to probe the new territory.
The Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 caused a number of Jewish fortune hunters and businessmen to immigrate to Alaska, and in 1904, they organized a short-lived congregation. They acquired a cemetery in Fairbanks in 1905, and is still the only Jewish cemetery in Alaska.
The first permanent Jewish settlers were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goldstein who came to Juneau in 1885. Since then, Jews have been prominent in the political life of Alaska and they have served as mayors of many communities. Three Alaskan mountain peaks - Mount Ripinski, Mount Neuberger, and Mount Applebaum - are named for prominent Jews. Also, The Gerstle River in North East Alaska, is named for Lewis Gerstle, a San Francisco merchant whose Alaska Commerical Company popularlized the use of sealskins, developed steamboat transportation, and financed some of Alaska's first mining ventures. The Klondike gold discovery was touched off when of Gerstle's steamers docked in San Francisco with $750,000 in gold aboard. The Alaska Commerical Company's line of river boats between Nome and Dawson on The Yukon River carried thousands of goldseekers and tons of their supplies.
In 1904, Fairbanks' Jewish community was founded with the arrival of Robert Bloom, a Lithuanian Jew, who came from Ireland by way of The Klondike in 1898. He ran a general store from 1906 to 1941. He was also a leader of The Fairbanks Jewish Community for nearly half a century. From 1904 to 1910, there were enough Jews in Fairbanks to hold High Holiday services if not a minyan for Shabbat. They had a Torah and formally organized as Congregation Bikkur Cholim in 1908. The number of Jews in Fairbanks dwindled between 1910 and World War II.
Before 1940, Alaska had barely more than 100 Jews and no organized Jewish community of religious life to serve the handful of merchants, government employees, engineers, canners, fishermen, and scientists. The Jewish military chaplpains who arrived in 1941 during World War II were the first rabbis to officiate in Alaska. The permanent civilian Jewish community grew out of The Fairbanks and Anchorage Armed Services Committee when discharged servicemen, as well as homsteaders and govenment personnel, began coming in substantial numbers.
When Alaska became the 49th American state, Ernest Gruening, a former territorial governor, was elected one of its first two United States senators. In 1964, Jay A. Rabinowitz was named to The Alaska Supreme Court.
Jews in the military still outnumbered civilian Jews in 1960, but the military numbers dwindled with the suspension of the draft in The Early 1970's. The chaplaincy closed. The Jewish community began to change as a civilian and more permanent population grew.
Today, Anchorage is the main focus of Jewish Alaska. In 1991, The Lubavitch Jewish Center of Alaska was established with the arrival of Rabbi Yossi and Esty Greenberg in Anchorage as emissaries of The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Z"L, with the goal of fanning the flame of Judaism in "The Last Frontier”. Rabbi Greenberg serves as the Rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Ohr, the only Orthodox congregation in the state of Alaska. Today, the Lubavitch Center has expanded to three Anchorage locations and is an established influence in the Jewish community through its synagogue, pre-school and kindergarten, library, day camps, adult education courses, and holiday functions.
The Lubavitch Center/Congregation Shomrei Ohr is located in Midtown Anchorage at 1210 East 26th Avenue near the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and LaTouche. The Gan Yeladim Pre-School is located at 3327 Fairbanks St., and the new mikveh is located at the site of the future synagogue at 1701 E 36th Avenue. The library and Judaica Gift Shop are located at 650 West International Airport Road, Suite 208.
The synagogue has a minyan every Shabbat Morning at 10:00 A.M.. On Friday Nights, there are services but without a minyan. Service time varies each week corresponding to the earliest Shabbat lighting (Plug HaMincha).
The Center offers full Shabbat meals featuring delicious, homemade dishes. Friday Night dinner is $35 per person; Shabbat lunch is $30 per person (Served at the synagogue immediately following services in conjunction with the community Shabbat lunch.); Seuda Shlishit is $20 per person. Children under 12 years of age are at half cost. Reservations for Shabbat meals are required two weeks in advance with pre-payment. Payments can be made by Visa, Master Card, or American Express.
Chabad of Alaska offers, on a strictly first come-first served basis, bed and breakfast accommodations. Lodging includes a private room and bathroom along with a continental breakfast each morning. In addition, a microwave, hot plate, and refrigerator are provided for your convenience. The Chabad Center is located in Midtown Anchorage, which is a convenient starting point for any Anchorage sightseeing activities. Room rental is $110.00 per night and requires payment at the time of reservation with Visa, Master Card, or American Express. Stays of over 7 nights are discounted to $90.00 per night.
There was a new kosher section in Carr’s on Diamond Boulevard and Seward Highway. They usually carried a variety of items including: Empire cold cuts, frankfurters, turkey, chicken, and chicken and turkey pot pies. They also carried Tillamook cheese, blintzes, cream cheese, smoked mozzarella cheese, puddings and snacks, cocktail bread, sprout bread, and other items. However, Safeway bought them out a couple of years ago and the first thing they got rid of was the the kosher section.
Recently, Chabad has established a new Kosher section in The Natural Pantry at The University Center on 3801 Old Seward Highway near the intersection of Old Seward and 36th Avenue. They usually carry a variety of items including: Empire cold cuts, frankfurters, turkey, chicken, chicken & turkey pot pies, Meal Mart frozen meals, J2 frozen Pizzas, Tillamook cheddar cheese, blintzes, cream cheese, smoked mozzarella cheese, puddings and snacks, frozen whole grain Pas Yisrael bread and other items. Frozen Unbaked Kineret brand Challah is sometimes available, and they do carry Kedem Grape Juice. In order to guarantee that the items you would like are in stock please call Vikki at The Natural Pantry at 907-770-1444 or fax at 770-1445.
In addition, Carr’s as well as the other large grocery stores (Safeway, Fred Meyer) carry the same variety of Kosher OU, OK, and CK foods, which you would be able to purchase in the large non-kosher supermarkets in The Lower 48 including bagels, bread, tuna, sardines, pickles, potato chips, etc.... Manischewitz products, such as matza, gefilte fish, chicken soup, etc..., for Friday Night dinners are also available. Kosher wine can be purchased at Carr’s Oaken Keg liquor stores. There are no kosher delis, restaurants, or other places to purchase hot kosher food in Alaska. Outside of Anchorage, a smaller selection of the same kosher products is available. There is a very limited selection of OUD and OKD dairy products available. There is no Chalav Yisrael.
Due to The Midnight Sun in Alaska, candle lighting times can be quite late. If you are planning on visiting Alaska, it is advisable to check the exact candle lighting times for the dates of your visit.
The mikveh that was in place for 25 years on Elmendorf Air Force Base was eliminated by The Air Force during base reconstruction. There was then no mikveh available in Alaska. The closest mikveh was a 3 ½ hour flight to Seattle. There was an emergency mikveh campaign to raise funds to build a mikveh on the community's new property purchase in town several blocks from the synagogue. The new mikveh is now open. It is located at 1701 E 36th Avenue, a twenty minute walk from the synagogue and a 5 minute walk from The Residence Inn and Golden Lion. Mikveh appointments must be made at least two days in advance with Esty Greenberg by calling (907) 279-1200. This mikveh was built with the generosity of both local and out of town donors, and while it is recommended to make a contribution of at least double chai ($36.00), any contribution that can be made towards the facility's maintenance or settling of its remaining mortgage is appreciated.
This is a picture of the new mikveh.
There are various Alaskan Jewish publications available at The Center. Several local Jewish families run tourist oriented businesses in the downtown area including David Green Furs at 130 West Fourth Avenue and Polar Bear Gifts at 442 West Fifth Avenue.
Topic: Alaskan Jewish History (Read 5748 times)