Sons of Jacob opens doors to community

Congregation Sons of Jacob, the last vestige of what was once a thriving Jewish community in the Smith Hill and Randall Square neighborhoods, plans to welcome the public to a free open house on Sunday June 25th from 12-3 p.m. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to admire the synagogue’s treasured interiors and learn about its history, as well as plans for the future. The building is at 24 Douglas Ave., Providence.

Upon completion of the original one-story building in 1906, thousands of people lined the streets to watch the Torahs process from the congregation’s old synagogue on Chalkstone Avenue to their new home on Douglas Avenue. Just blocks from the many Jewish-owned businesses lining Shawmut Street, the congregation flourished and in 1922 completed the second-floor sanctuary. Hand-painted murals depicting the zodiac decorate the ceiling and there is a sparkling chandelier.

Today, Route 146 cuts through Shawmut Street, and most of the 300 families who once worshiped at Sons of Jacob have moved to Providence’s East Side and surrounding suburbs, according to Joshua Jasper, librarian/archivist of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association. The small remaining congregation has returned to worshipping in the easier-to-manage, cozy first floor of the synagogue where the congregation first began. Though the sanctuary hasn’t been used in a decade, when the lights are turned on, it transforms into a time capsule and jewel box unlike anything else in Providence.

Harold Silverman, the longtime president of the congregation, keeps the place alive with his boundless energy and persistent hope for the building’s future. His wishes may be answered as plans for the Rhode Island Jewish Museum are taking form, with an eye on Sons of Jacob for its home.

All are invited to attend this open house event to learn about the history of Sons of Jacob, its surrounding neighborhood and plans for the future. There will be music, snacks and an extra special welcoming committee led by none other than Silverman himself.

This program is being organized by Doors Open Rhode Island in partnership with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, Smith Hill Community Development Corporation, Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, Congregation Sons of Jacob and newly formed Rhode Island Jewish Museum.

Doors Open Rhode Island is a new local initiative that connects people to local places of cultural, historical and architectural significance in an effort to bridge communities and inspire new perspectives on our cities.

CAROLINE STEVENS is program director of Doors Open Rhode Island.