Temple Jacob
|
The copper dome of this Jewish synagogue on the steep hillside beneath East Hancock is a familiar yet mysterious sight to motorists driving north off the lift bridge. Before it was built in 1912, the area's then-numerous Jewish families, mostly merchants, had met for services in various halls. The congregation of a hundred families named the temple after benefactor Jacob Gartner, owner of the large Hancock clothing and furniture store still operating under family ownership today. Today the Jewish community is much smaller. Temple Jacob is used for High Holy Days and other occasions, when a student rabbi comes to Copper Country. Now a Reformed congregation, it is regularly active with cultural and religious programs, though the building is closed in winter.
Call Harley Sachs at 482-8814 for a tour. His collection of interesting short stories, Threads of the Covenant, illuminates the lives of far-flung Jews in the Upper Peninsula and small towns in Lower Michigan. It's available at North Wind Books in Hancock. 
Visible a little to the left while crossing north on the lift bridge to Hancock, the temple is located on M-26 just after it makes a 90° turn right
Return to Hancock
POINTS OF INTEREST
Distant Drum. A delightful custom clothing shop inspired by trips abroad, her Ramsay roots, and annual trips to the Southwest ... more
M-26 Hancock to Lake Linden. A fascinating drive through the old copper processing region ... more
McLain State Park. Two miles of beautiful Lake Superior beach, a lighthouse pier, and 443 diverse acres provide wonderful beach and woodland walks, good birding, and stunning sunset views for campers and day visitors alike. ... more
North on US-41 Hancock to Copper Harbor. Past historic copper mining villages and ruins, majestic rock bluffs, a shady tunnel trees, this is one of Michigan's best known scenic drives ... more
Portage Waterway. The 21-mile stretch of water results from an ancient fracture of Keweenaw's spine of hard rock ... more
Temple Jacob. A jewell-like temple is perched prettily on a Hancock hillside, still in good shape decades after most of its congregation has moved elsewhere ... more
Downtown Hancock. Unlike many downtowns, Hancock's remains a one-stop business center with many useful shops, a department store, resale stores, arty specialty stores and galleries, a toy store, gun shop, home-owned bank, and bookstore with specialties in regional, the environment, and Scandinavia. ... more
Finlandia University/Finnish-American Heritage Center. Finlandia University (the U.P.'s only private college) and the associated Finnish-American Heritage Center form the U.S. epicenter of Finnish culture. They offer exhibits and lectures. ... more
Finlandia University Portage Campus. Hancock's big old hospital is now a hub of college activityk, including yoga, fitess, meditation studios and a cafe with a nice view of the waterway. ... more
Deja vu & Daily Brew Antiques and Collectibles. An imposing, fanciful Victorian house features Depression-era and cut glass as well as a coffee shop with wi-fi ... more
Keweenaw Co-op Natural Foods & Groceries. A great place to stop for picnic and camping provisions, with a tasty deli section, gourmet and international fare, unusual sauces and bulk foods, and an impressive selection of wines ... more
Hunt's Map Guide to the Upper Peninsula
• 13 detailed U.P. maps
• Full color, on sturdy, water-resistant paper
• Folds out to 12”x38”
• Only $6.95
To learn more & buy online, click here
