The Magen David Window

Rebecca Stanfel with the Magen David window

If you've visited Temple Emanu-El recently, you'll have noticed we added a new piece of Montana’s Jewish history to our displays on the third floor: a Magen David window. This Magen David, or Star of David, window was once part of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) smelter in East Helena. It might seem strange that a smelter in Montana  had a Magen David window. In fact, the ASARCO smelter had three of these windows. The company was owned by Meyer Guggenheim, a Swiss immigrant of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Guggenheim started out in Pennsylvania and worked his way from a peddler to a lace and retail magnate. Ultimately, mining became the foundation of his family’s wealth.The East Helena smelter opened in 1888 to process lead bullion. The operation was run by Guggenheim’s sons, though none of them actually lived in Montana. The plant continued for more than a century, closing in 2001 after causing extensive environmental damage.

The Smelter in East Helena around 1905.

The Guggenheim family name is still recognizable today, whether in Peggy Guggenheim's dedication to modernist art and her museum in Venice or the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum in New York City. At one point, the family controlled 80% of the world's silver, a testament to their extraordinary wealth and influence. ASARCO ultimately declared bankruptcy in 2005, and contributed $100 million to clean up the smelter site.

When the ASARCO buildings were demolished in 2008, the City of East Helena carefully removed the windows and stored them for many years. In 2021, East Helena and Preserve Montana, through a grant from the Foundation for Montana History, ensured the windows were thoroughly and beautifully restored. Thanks to the work of Wes Feist, Kevin Ore, Mayor Kelly Harris, and Chuck Butler, one of the restored windows is now on permanent loan to Montana Jewish Project, where we are honored to display it in Temple Emanu-El.

Preserving and sharing the history of Jewish life in Montana is central to MJP’s mission. Jews played a vital role in early Montana history and remain a vibrant part of the state today. Together with our Living Stories of Jewish Montana project, this window helps bring to light the Jewish stories that shaped our state but are not always visible today.