Hurley Favorite Tips by yooperprof

Sharey Zedek Synagogue Marker

Favorite thing: For many years, Hurley was home to a thriving Jewish community. This Lake Superior Iron Range town even had its own synagogue. The community is no longer here, the children and grandchildren of the first settlers having moved on to Minneapolis or Milwaukee or the West Coast. And the original synagogue is now an apartment building just a block from Silver Street.

In the summer of 2005, a historic marker was commissioned and dedicated in front of the synagogue building. People who had grown up in Hurley in the 1920s and 30s, their children and grandchildren returned here for the marker dedication. There was a commemorative dinner, a celebration at the Iron County Historical Society, and the official unveiling of the synagogue memorial. It's good to see this piece of American history remembered.

In the photograph, standing next to the marker are three individuals with roots in the Hurley Jewish community. Next to the marker stands Gary Sherman, the Wisconsin State Representative for Hurley (he's Jewish) and my friend Peter, who played an important role in organizing and co-ordinating the event. (Peter is an enthusiast for local history.)

Hurley cemetery

Favorite thing: Hurley attracted a wide range of immigrants from many European ethnicities. A stroll through the town cemetery will find many interesting family names: Italian and Finnish names seem to dominate, with a smattering of Poles, Slovaks, Swedes, and Cornish as well. The cemetery also has a small Jewish section: there was also a functioning synagogue here for many years.