First Roumanian/ Shaari Shomayim

First Romanian was founded in 1897. In 1926 the congregation moved to a new temple at Douglas and Millard, from its old location at 1352 S. Union.

The construction of the new building was reported in the Chicago Tribune of Feb. 22, 1925. On Nov. 15, 1926, Queen Marie of Romania visited the temple, as reported in the Tribune the following day.

The congregation disbanded in the early 1950s, according to A Walk to Schul by Kraus and Schwartz. It last appears in the classified listings of the phone book in 1952-53. By 1956, the Stone Temple Baptist Church was listed at the address.

The Tribune published an article about the 50-year anniversary of this congregation on May 18, 1947.

Variant Names:

First Roumanian (1906 directory)

Shaari Shomain (1923 Directory)

Gates of Heaven

Romanian Synagogue (Cutler)

First Romanian Congregation Anshe S’fard (Kraus and Schwartz)