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SHAREI CHESED CONGREGATION
This synagogue was located at 2734 Rhode Island Ave. in St. Louis Park from 1965 to 2008. The following was provided by the Congregation:
The current Sharei Chesed Congregation, through the
establishment of its two predecessor synagogues, Sharei
Tzedek and Gemelus Chesed, traces its roots back to 1906.
The organization that year of Sharei Tzedek, located at 8th
and Bryant, was the culmination of a dream and need shared
by many Eastern European Orthodox Jews who fled their
homelands and immigrated to Minnesota in the early 1900s.
They found their way to North Minneapolis and weaved their
way into the social and business fabric of the community.
Gemelus Chesed, formally registered in 1914 - but founded
earlier - was one of a number of combination-type fraternal
societies which loaned money, administered relief and
provided religious services for the growing influx of
immigrants. It was located originally on Eighth and Girard,
then moved to Logan Avenue before building its [current]
edifice in St. Louis Park.
[The building was built in 1965
by the Gemelus Chesed Benevolent Society. It was designed by
Irwin Mandel and constructed by Maurice Mandel, Inc.
It was dedicated in December 1965. Participants at the
dedication banquet included St. Louis Park Mayor Kenneth
Wolfe and Minneapolis Mayor Arthur Naftalin.]
The congregations' early members were the forebears of many
current, prominent Twin Cities' families.
In 1969, Gemelus Chesed and Sharei Zedek merged to form
Sharei Chesed, which means “Gates of Kindness.”
Early spiritual leadership of the congregation rested in the
devoted and capable hands of two legendary figures of the
Orthodox Jewish community. Rabbi S.I. Levin served the
Congregations Sharei Tzedek and Sharei Chesed for more than
63 years. He was the highly respected dean of Minneapolis
Orthodox rabbis until his death in 1984. A prolific writer
in scholarly Hebrew journals, he was one of the founders of
the Minneapolis Federation and the Jewish Family and
Children's Service.
For 54 years, Rabbi George S. Sektor guided Gemelus Chesed
and the merged Sharei Chesed Congregation until his death in
1988. He was a great Talmudic scholar, a trained mohel and a
shohet. In 1965, under his zestful leadership, the
congregation built and dedicated the facility at 2734 Rhode
Island Avenue - the
first Orthodox synagogue in St. Louis Park. He is remembered
warmly for his fulfillment of the meaning of "Gemilut Hesed"
through his contributions to many Jewish institutions of
learning and various homes for orphans.
Today, and for almost 20 years now, Sharei Chesed has been a
modern Conservative synagogue where families sit together
and listen to both men and women lead services in both
Hebrew and English. We are also blessed to be in our new
home in Minnetonka on the shores of beautiful Crane Lake
(click here for directions), led by the wise counsel and
dynamic leadership of our spiritual leader,
Rabbi Avraham Ettedgui.
Rabbi Ettedgui has served Sharei Chesed Congregation for the
past ten years, and has guided it during the transition
period from St. Louis Park to our current home in
Minnetonka.
The Sharei Chesed Congregation moved to
1712 Hopkins Crossroad Minnetonka, MN 55305 for the High
Holy Days 5769 in 2008.
Sharei Chesed building at 2734 Rhode Island Ave. in St.
Louis Park, 1965-2008.
Photo taken in 2005.
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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.