Firsty, thank you for reading this, and I hope you’ll get through it and give us the honor of a donation, firstly, and a reblog, secondly. Maybe even a note to any friends you have outside of tumblr!
If you don’t care about the history, skip to the bold at the end!
This is Temple Emanu-El, in Helena, Montana. At the time it was built, it was the only synagogue between Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Portland, Oregon. It was built with the hard work of the Jewish community that had come west to seek their fortune and stability, having heard that people were more willing to do business with Jews in the West, a place where social strictures were slightly relaxed. This turned out to be true, and the community thrived.
This picture resolves small on tumblr, but you can see the love and care they put into it. It’s modeled after the great synagogues of Europe, with heavy stonework, onion domes, and intricate stained glass. The president of the congregation cried at its opening and dedication.
As the years went on, the West became more settled, and for a series of socio-political reasons of which my History of the American West major ass is well aware but are ultimately unimportant to the issue at hand, Jewish communities left much of the interior west for metropolitan areas. By the 1930s, the Jewish community was so small that they could not justify the large and lavish worship center.
They sold it to the city for one dollar.
The promise made to them was that it would be used for the public good. The state readied the former temple for its new function as offices for Social and Rehabilitation Services, sandblasting of the Hebrew inscription, “Gate to the Eternal,” above the entry and removing the star-studded, painted domes.. The copper was stripped from the building and likely reused to re-clad the State Capitol’s dome at about the same time.
That lasted all of 40 years, when the State of Montana decided to let it sit idle and decay, so they could justify the sale of the building, sold for a pittance to the public good, to the Helena Catholic Diocese for $83,000 (this is an opinion of mine, though it is not an uneducated one, and I do firmly believe it. I do not, however, represent that they allowed it to fall into disrepair to justify the sale as objective fact.)
This is the building now
In a twist of fate, the diocese can no longer afford to maintain the building. They are selling it, and the Jewish community of Helena is trying to buy it.
The Montana Jewish Project is being far far far nicer and more politic about this than I would be, but in fairness, they actually how to get Nice Goyim to donate, and I don’t, so. The Diocese is spinning this as selling the building for much less than its worth, which may be true, but if you bought it for $83,000, that would be $280,000 now.
They are selling it for $925,000. And we have to have 70% of the purchase price by February 28th. Easy terms, right?
Here’s where you come in! If the idea of Montana’s Jews getting back the building that was sold to the Diocese in spite of the original agreement appeals to you, you can and should donate to their capital campaign. They even have an option for your donation where if we don’t get Emanu-El back, your money will be returned to you instead of being used for other MJP protects and repairs.
This place won’t just be used for the Jewish community, though I think that would be enough. They want it to be used as a museum and center for the community as well, to teach about Jewish life in Montana, with Jewish cooking classes, and social programs, and teaching non-Jews about Jewish customs and culture.
I just want to get the cross off the top.
Donate here
Gay Romani People are vital to our community.
Gay Jewish People are vital to our community. Gay, Jewish, and Romani people, particularly disabled women, suffer due to integral parts of their identity. Do not forget them. Opre Roma! Goyim, Gadjo, and non-gay individuals may of course reblog
just because its true doesnt mean you should say it
Therapist: So, tell me about yourself. Why have you decided to go to therapy?
Tim: oh well it was all Bruce's idea. He's really good at picking up on when I'm feeling off. He absolutely insisted I talk to someone and after arguing with him for a bit, I relented.
Therapist: sounds like he really cares about you
Tim: yeah. You think as the good middle, unproblematic child I'd get overlooked, but he doesn't let anything slip by him
Flashback:
Tim [sighing]: sometimes i feel numb inside and nothing brings me joy. Everything i do just makes things worse
Batman, sitting at batcomputer: mhm
Tim [leaning dramatically over the back of a chair]: the days all blur together and i wonder if there's even a point to living. Why bother?
Batman: mhm
Tim [standing directly behind Bruce]: if i disappeared would you even miss me?
Batman: mhm yeah sound great Tim
Tim [resting his head on Bruce's shoulder]: this is a cry for help. I'm very depressed.
Batman: mhm
Jason: oh hey guys! Just dropping by before I go to kill the Penguin
Batman [whirling around]: wHAT?? YOU BETTER NOT-
Tim: oh for fucks sake
Concerning Violence. Dir. Göran Olsson. 2014
The fact that I reported a puppet account for saying Black people deserved slavery and was given a bullshit "that's their opinion" response yet staff has deleted 3 of my Black mutuals on the same fucking day tells my that @staff is racist and that Black Excellence banner is only for fucking show. Y'all will let Black bloggers be harassed, but God forbid one of them says fucking white women. With fucking full blown pesos and white supremacists on your fucking site too. Hope your building blows up
Wet’suwet’en protesters face surveillance and harassment on Indigenous lands
we out here livin
don’t look away.
Halsey coming out on their Insta story with their diagnoses of EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) and POTS (post orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) is a huge banner moment for zebra & spoonie visibility and awareness and I stan a zebra queen. Thank you for your honest, raw presence here with us.
Pip, they/them, nonbinary, panromantic, greysexual. This is sort of a junk blog, but its also my main one. I really use @woodwind-goddess so you should head over there
165 posts