The second Conservative synagogue in Minneapolis (Adath Jeshuran on the South Side is the first), Beth El was organized in 1921 by young, mainly second generation Jews who had attended Talmud Torah, a Zionist after-school Hebrew academy. A lot was purchased in 1906 on the corner of Penn Avenue North and 14th Street, and a stunning, pared-down modern style synagogue was erected, designed by the firm of Liebenberg and Kaplan. Jack Liebenberg was the first Jew to graduate from the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. In addition to designing the more traditional appearing Temple Israel and Adath Jeshuran synagogues in the 1920s, Liebenberg became renowned for his Art Deco movie theaters. Beth El was sold in 1968 and the congregation erected a new building in St. Louis Park. The Penn Avenue building was demolished in 1995.