In Ogden, Utah, where I grew up, the streets are named after United States presidents. They run in chronological order from the city center up to the Wasatch Mountain Range, ending with Buchanan. The only exceptions are Lincoln and Grant, which curiously precede Washington — a tribute to the war that began and ended before Utah became a state.
Grant Avenue is exceptional for another reason: It is the address of Congregation Brith Sholem, the oldest continuously operating synagogue in the state of Utah. The synagogue — a red brick building with a white column entryway — was built in 1921, when Jews were so numerous downtown that Ogden’s iconic 25th Street was known as “Little Jerusalem” (at least according to a synagogue commemorative video).
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