The Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Pharos Lighthouse, the Boise Hole. OK, so maybe the infamous Boise landmark doesn’t quite measure up to some of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but Boise does have a few notable locations/creations worthy of notice. We’re calling them the Seven Wonders of Boise, and while none of them measure up to the Pyramids at Giza, wouldn’t you rather see a two-headed calf than a pile of rocks, however artistically stacked they may be?
Some hidden wonders in the City of Trees Jay Vail | photographs Glenn Landberg
CONGREGATION AHAVATH BETH ISRAEL We go both close to the ground and close to heaven with our first wonder: the oldest continuously operating synagogue west of the Mississippi. Nope, you read that right. The Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel (beloved house of Israel) synagogue was dedicated on Aug. 30, 1896. Now located south of Morris Hill Cemetery at 11 N. Latah St., the synagogue began its long, illustrious life downtown at the corner of 11th and State streets about 30 years after Idaho’s first Jewish residents
arrived all the way back in the 1860s. Founders included Moses Alexander, a successful merchant who later became Boise’s mayor and the United States’ first Jewish governor. The Moorish Revival house of worship was designed by architects from St. Louis and features a Romanesque interior, keyhole arches, pastel stainedglass windows and—a novelty for the time—electric lights (no word on whether they’ve been replaced with energy-efficient LEDs). The synagogue
was listed on the United States Register of Historic Places in 1973. But, as buildings with massive sandstone foundations are wont to do, it was up and moved across the river and up the hill in October 2003. Its new neighbor is a post-modern education center that was built after the move. Just driving by this historic landmark is enough to give you a little spiritual enlightenment, but if you’d rather get a little one-on-one time with this religious wonder, call ahead to schedule a tour.
Museum since not long after he was born on a Jerome ranch in 1950 and died a few days later. He (they?) have stood sentinel in the museum’s 1880s C.W. Smith wooden bar, which was used in various Boise locations for more than 70 years. He proved so popular that a plush, and slightly less-creepy version of Deja Moo was created a few years ago. The two-headed stuffed version sold in the museum’s gift shop has its own fan base, and in the process has become a
bit like the infamous wandering gnome. The museum keeps a scrapbook of pictures sent in by visitors who couldn’t resist taking Deja Moo with them wherever they went. Photographs feature the fuzzy bi-cranial critter at such world-famous sites as the Berlin Wall and the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps the highest-ranking traveler to adopt a mini Moo was Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in town recently to meet with folks at Micron. Lee’s photo includes an autograph.
DEJA MOO There’s one Boise resident who has been solidly freaking out children and families for more than 50 years. Visitors can find him nearly any day of the week hanging out next to the bar, where he’s been almost since the day he died. The good thing is that he’s always got company, he just has to look at the other head attached to his body. Deja Moo is the stuffed two-headed calf who has been the resident attraction at the Idaho State Historical WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
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