Missouri

Jewish Life in Missouri

While a French colony, the Louisiana territory forbid settlement in the region by non-Catholics. While the primary target of this enforcement was the Protestant Huguenots, the broad framing of the law extended this restriction to Jews as well. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Jews were legally allowed to settle in Missouri for the first time.

Perhaps the first Jew to settle in Missouri was Ezekiel Block, a slaveowner from a traditionalist Bohemian family. Eventually, more than 20 members of the Block family settled in Missouri communities along the river, including Troy, Perryville, Cape Girardeau, and St. Louis. The majority of the Block family eventually married into Christian families. Jewish communities in eastern Missouri remained sparse, however. The largest community, St. Louis, had less than 100 Jews in 1840.

Mid-century German migration changed the fortunes of Jewish life in Missouri. Due to German migrations in the 1840s and 1850s, St. Louis's Jewish community blossomed to around 700, and significant new Jewish communities emerged in Kansas City and St. Joseph. Before the end of the century, both cities would have active congregations, as well as Jefferson City, Springfield, and Joplin.

Jewish Communities of Missouri

Arrow Rock	Aurora	Boonville	Bowling Green	Brookfield
Brunswick	Bucklin	Cape Girardeau	Carrollton	Carthage
Carterville	Chillicothe	Clinton	Columbia	Deepwater
Desloge	De Soto	Farmington	Fayette	Flat River
Guthrie	Glasgow	Greenfield	Hannibal	Holden
Huntsville	Independence	Jasper County	Jefferson City	Joplin
Kansas City	Kennet	Kirksville	Knob Noster	Knox City
Lamar	Leadwood	Lexington	Liberty	Louisiana
Macon	Malden	Marshall Township	Marshfield	Mexico
Miami	Mine La Motte	Moberly	Monett	Montrose
Neosho	Nevada	New Madrid	Old Mines	Palmyra
Pierce City	Rich Hill	Richmond	Rocheport	Rolla
St. Joseph	St. Louis	Sarcoxie	Sedalia	Springfield
Troy	Versailles	Warrensburg	Warsaw	Webb City
West Port	Wheatland