Early Jewish community and founding

The first known Jewish residents of Lake Charles were Leopold Kaufman and David Block, who arrived in 1879 when the town was still a small village of about 500 people. As the Jewish community slowly grew, the congregation Temple Sinai was formally organized in September 1894. For its first decade, the congregation met in rented quarters at the Masonic Temple and Enterprise Hall on Broad Street.

Building the synagogue

The current synagogue at 713 Hodges Street was built in 1904. Architecturally, it’s often described as Byzantine-Romanesque, with red brick walls and bold white stone trim: arches, columns with oversized capitals, and a strong central window that dominates the facade.

Originally, the building had two towers with onion domes on either side of the front facade, which can be seen in early photographs and postcards. These domes were destroyed by a hurricane in 1918. Inside, the sanctuary is a single barrel-vaulted space with simple decoration, wood wainscoting, and round-arched windows. It also features a notable pipe organ that is said to have been the first installed in any house of worship in Lake Charles.

Growth, expansions, and later history

By 1919, the Jewish population of Lake Charles had grown to nearly 300 people. Services at Temple Sinai were conducted in both Hebrew and English, and the congregation supported a religious school for its children.

Over the years, the building has been expanded and renovated several times:

• In 1929, the synagogue was expanded after land was donated by Leopold Kaufman.

• In 1947, the interior was renovated.

• In 1960, a religious school wing was added to support the growing educational needs of the congregation.

Recent events

In August 2020, Hurricane Laura caused significant water damage to Temple Sinai. Insurance proceeds and community support helped restore and improve Temple Sinai to its present condition.

Today, Temple Sinai remains a small Reform congregation, with a close-knit membership serving the Jewish community of Lake Charles and the surrounding region. It continues to honor its long history while adapting to the needs of contemporary Jewish life in southwest Louisiana.