By: Kim Grant
A group of dedicated volunteers and board members of Temple Aaron of Trinidad, Colorado is determinedly working to save the nearly 130- year old historic Temple Aaron building in the small southern Colorado city of Trinidad.
Temple Aaron was designed by famed architect Isaac Hamilton Rapp and is considered an architectural masterpiece. Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI) listed Temple Aaron on Colorado’s Most Endangered Places list in 2017, in recognition of the urgency to save this magnificent building and preserve the story of Jewish migration to the American west. Today Temple Aaron is being reconstituted as a regional synagogue that continues to hold events and celebrations, including Passover Seders, Rosh Hashanah and Havdalah services, Sukkoth celebrations, and other events relating to Jewish life and history. The Temple is the oldest continuing operating synagogue, in its original location, west of the Mississippi.
Jews have been part of Trinidad’s economic, social and political life since they first arrived as traders along the Santa Fe Trail, and later by railroad in the mid-to-late 1880s. Maurice and Isaac Wise opened a store on Main Street in 1867, following the pattern of other Jewish merchants moving westward. The Jaffa Brothers Trading Company was established in 1872 and Sam Jaffa was elected Trinidad’s first mayor in 1876. The Jaffa brothers, Sam, Henry and Sol also built Trinidad’s Opera House in 1882. In 1883, Trinidad’s Jewish community formally organized Southern Colorado’s first Jewish congregation, which also drew members from Northern New Mexico. Fundraising to support the community and build a synagogue began with ecumenical support from the non-Jewish community as well. The Temple Aaron building was designed by architect Isaac Hamilton Rapp in the popular Exotic Revival-Moorish style and dedicated in 1889. The congregation’s spiritual leader was Rabbi Leopold Freudenthal and the temple was affiliated with the Reform movement and sponsored an early B’nai B’rith chapter. For 130 years, and continuing, Temple Aaron has visibly affirmed the American principles of freedom of assembly and religion. The late Kathryn and Leon Rubin, and their sons Randy and Ron have cared for Temple Aaron since the 1980s, and Randy and Ron continue to serve on the newly constituted board of directors to move preservation efforts forward.
An architectural and structural assessment of the 130-year old building has recently been completed and a National Landmark nomination for Temple Aaron, with the support of Colorado Preservation, Inc. and the National Park Service, is now under development. A capital campaign will be undertaken to secure critical funding for repairs, restoration, maintenance, and operations.
For information and to support the effort to preserve Temple Aaron, please see www.templeaaron.org or email info@templeaaron.org.
Photo credit: Colorado Preservation, Inc.