How a German immigrant came to Idaho and became the first practicing Jewish governor
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BOISE – Nearly 50 years after immigrating to the United States, Moses Alexander was on his way to becoming the nation’s first practicing Jewish governor.
It was Sept. 1, 1914. The 60-year-old Boise man had come to Idaho more than four decades earlier after leaving his place of birth, a state in southeast Germany called Bavaria. After a stint as city councilman and two-term mayor of Chillicothe, Missouri, he stopped in the Gem State’s capital city on his way to Alaska. He liked it so much he decided to stay.
He established a business in 1891 on the corner on Ninth and Main in downtown — Alexander Davis Men’s Clothing — which closed in 2022 after 131 years of business, according to KTVB.
Several years later, he helped form Beth Israel, the city’s first official Jewish congregation. In 1896, what is now Ahavath Beth Israel — a Jewish synagogue — was completed at 11 North Latah Street, where he and his fellow Jews could meet to worship. Today, it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, as the City of Boise reports, remains the oldest synagogue in continuous use west of the Mississippi River.
In 1914, after two unsuccessful bids as governor, Alexander had emerged victorious in the primary as the Democratic Party’s nominee. He spoke out in support of prohibition, which was a major talking point of his campaign.
David Crowder, who wrote an essay about Alexander in the book “Idaho’s Governors,” cites a news report at the time that compared Alexander to the biblical figure, with whom he shared the same first name. If Alexander is victorious, the article reported, “he will be far greater to the people of Idaho than his biblical namesake was to the children of Israel, and our state will be the modern Land of Promise.”
Alexander did win, but it wasn’t because of his stance on prohibition. A scandal in the Republican Party — which his political opponent was rumored to be involved in — earned him 44.13% of the vote, according to voting records. Alexander had a total of 47,618 votes, while John Haines, the Republican incumbent, had 40,349 votes.
Alexander was inaugurated in January 1915 and became Idaho’s 11th governor. He remains the state’s sole Jewish chief executive to this day.
Alexander’s early life and interest in politics
Alexander was 13 when he came to America in 1867. His two sisters had come years before, and the passing of his father, Jonathan, made him eager to join them.
“His widowed mother refused to allow him to leave until he participated in the sacred rite confirming him in the Jewish faith of his fathers,” Crowder writes.
Alexander lived with his sisters in New York for several months before joining his cousin in Missouri to work in his store. This is where he learned English and studied U.S. History and the Constitution. He also acquired an interest in business and politics.
He often read newspapers and one publication, in particular, helped shape his political ideology.
“The St. Louis Republic … staunchly supported the principles of the Democratic Party and (was a) major influence” on him, says Crowder.
During his first gubernatorial bid in 1908, Alexander was one of two candidates who secured the primary nomination, due to a split in the Democratic Party. The Idaho Supreme Court got involved and declared Alexander the legitimate victor, but he ended up losing the general election by a narrow margin.
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Following Alexander’s victory in 1914, letters from Jews all over the U.S. and Canada poured in, congratulating him.
“Every Jew rejoices with you, both in the fact that you have won and how you have won,” one person wrote, according to Crowder. “You stood loyally … not only as a true servant of the people, but as a Jew — loyal to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Alexander immediately went to work on the “absolute destruction of the liquor business” in Idaho.
Joining him in this effort was John Hart, a senator from Jefferson County, who sponsored a bill proposing an amendment to the state Constitution outlawing the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol. It passed the Senate and the House with little debate.
Alexander received an anonymous letter written on wrapping paper on the morning of March 1, 1915 — the day he was scheduled to sign the bill into law.
“If you sign bill No. 142, you will be killed,” the note said, according to Crowder. “You know the people of the state don’t want prohibition. Don’t take this as a joke. One governor went that way; why not one more? BE HONEST.”
The bill was signed into law without incident. The person responsible for writing the letter remains a mystery.
Prohibition’s failure and Alexander’s patriotism
The new legislation did not stop the sale and consumption of alcohol. In the coming years, as America was plunged into World War I, Alexander’s attention was focused on the pressing issues of the day. Bootlegging became a common crime and was an ongoing issue for years.
When America joined the war in 1917, Alexander framed prohibition as a patriotic issue and ordered that alcoholic drinks be given to the federal government for the war effort. The War Department, according to Crowder, ultimately said redistilling alcoholic beverages for reuse was not practical.
“The Governor continued his support of prohibition in private correspondence and public pronouncements until he left office, even though for all practical purposes prohibition in Idaho had failed,” writes Crowder.
Despite its failure, prohibition remained on the books for decades until Congress passed the 21st amendment on Dec. 5, 1933, which put an end to it nationwide.
Alexander served two terms as governor, and was in office from January 1915 to January 1919 (governors served two-year terms at the time). Before the war ended on Nov. 11, 1918, anti-German hysteria was rampant in the U.S., including Idaho. Despite being a German immigrant, historical records give no indication that Alexander was a target of hatred or bigotry.
“No one ever questioned his absolute patriotism,” Crowder writes. “Throughout his two terms in office, the Governor had been a good example of a patriotic citizen, and the people responded to his leadership.”
An unsuccessful bid for governor in 1922 ended his political career, though he remained active in politics as a speaker at Democratic Party gatherings.
He was 78 when he died from a heart attack on Jan. 4, 1932.
“Alexander had no superior,” Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Alfred Budge said. “He was a superb statesman.”