Overview

Mikro Kodesh Synagogue reflects the once-large Jewish population in North Minneapolis.  

• Location: 1000-06 Oliver Avenue North
• Neighborhood: Near North

Historic profile

Mikro Kodesh Synagogue reflects the once-large Jewish population in North Minneapolis. 

The growth of the city’s Jewish population in the late 1880s led to the construction of many synagogues. By 1910, over half of the Jewish community lived in North Minneapolis. 

The synagogue was built in 1926 for an Orthodox congregation. It was designed by London-born Septimus J. Bowler who began to practice in Minneapolis in 1888. Bowler’s design includes Romanesque Revival and Byzantine Revival elements. This synagogue’s style was more traditional than others under construction in the city at the same time, which had more modern designs.  

The synagogue is 3.5 stories tall with a multicolored brick and stone exterior. The front elevation features elaborate stone carvings, arched windows, and a grand central staircase. Two square towers flank a central bay that is arched. The towers are topped by golden domes with Christian crosses and a Star of David at each corner. The name of the synagogue is carved above three arched entrances. Above the second-story windows, two carved lions with a shared crown guard a Hebrew tablet.  

By 1949, this was home to the largest Orthodox congregation in the Upper Midwest. That same year, a large addition was built on the rear of the building. By the 1960s, several Jewish congregations began to move to the suburbs. In 1969, Mikro Kodesh merged with a congregation in St. Louis Park and left this location. Like other vacated synagogues in North Minneapolis, a Christian church moved into the space.