It’s the end of an era for an important chapter in Memphis Jewish history, as the Old Temple Israel Synagogue on Poplar Ave is slowly being torn down by demolition crews today.
Originally built in 1916 and known as the Children of Israel Synagogue, the structure had an important impact on the Bluff City beyond its walls, as its first rabbi was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement and spoke out against such racial injustices as the lynching of Ell Parsons in 1917.
Now, however, the synagogue will give way to a 73,000 square-foot sanctuary for the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, who owns the property on which the temple stands (or will have stood).
