In 1903, a remarkable scene unfolded in Salt Lake City beneath a canopy of American flags. Members of the Jewish community laid the cornerstone for Utah’s first Orthodox synagogue, joined by civic and religious leaders from across the city.
Among the speakers that day was President Joseph F. Smith, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He praised the Jewish community’s “fidelity and earnestness of purpose,” extending a hand of fellowship and calling them “brethren.” His remarks, published in the Deseret Evening News under the headline “ Jewish People Congratulated ,” offered a vision of kinship between faiths — one that, even today, feels strikingly generous. At a time when religious differences elsewhere sparked violence, Utah’s civic life told a different story: one of solidarity and shared hope.
Utah’s early history offers a remarkable but often overlooked example of interfaith support…