Beth Sholom Synagogue, Elkins Park, PA

Beth Sholom Synagogue is located in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park. Beth Sholom is Hebrew for House of Peace. It is a Conservative synagogue, and the only synagogue ever designed by famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 876 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: fizbin Source: his own camera I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 876 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: fizbin Source: his own camera I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Elkins Park is an unincorporated community, portions of which are located in both Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania and Abington Township, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Conservative Judaism, (also known as Masorti Judaism in Israel predominantly), is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s. ... A synagogue (from Ancient Greek: , transliterated synagogÄ“, assembly; Hebrew: beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: , shul; Ladino: , esnoga) is a Jewish place of religious worship. ... An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867—April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent and influential architects of his era. ...

In 2007, the building was named to the list of National Historic Landmark because of "its significance in the history of American architecture. The glazed glass pyramidal tower, built in the 1950s, reflects two dominant metaphors - the tent and the mountain - to convey the sense of a collective sacredness. It is nationally significant as one of Wright’s most important commissions during his long and productive career." ^[1] USS Constitution A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, site, structure, or object, almost always within the United States, officially recognized for its historical significance. ...

Congregation

The congregation originally established its synagogue in Logan in 1919 but was one of the first congregations to move to the Philadelphia suburbs when it moved to its present home in the 1950s. A synagogue (from Ancient Greek: , transliterated synagogē, assembly; Hebrew: beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: , shul; Ladino: , esnoga) is a Jewish place of religious worship. ... Logan is a neighborhood in the north Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

Rabbis

• 1919-1964 - Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen ז"ל
• 1964-2000 - Rabbi Aaron Landes
• 2000-2003 - Rabbi Gershon Schwartz ז"ל
• 2003-2004 - Rabbi Frederic Kazan (interim)
• 2004-present - Rabbi David Glanzberg-Krainin

Building

The building was specially designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who accepted the commission in September 1953. The building was completed and consecrated in 1959. With its steeply inclined walls of translucent wire glass and plastic projecting skyward like a "luminous Mount Sinai" (in Wright's own description). During the day, the interior is lit by natural light entering through the translucent walls overhead. At night, the entire building glows from interior artificial lighting. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867—April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent and influential architects of his era. ... Transparent glass ball In optics, transparency is the property of allowing light to pass. ... View from the summit of Mount Sinai Sinai Peninsula, showing location of Jabal Musa Mount Sinai (Arabic: طور سيناء), also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gebel Musa or Jabal Musa (Moses Mountain) by the Bedouins, is the name of a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula. ...

The roof of Beth Sholom Synagogue at sunset.

In front of the synagogue, and separated from it by about twenty-five feet is a laver or fountain. In ancient days, the laver (from the word "to lave" or "wash") was made of copper. In it the worshipers would wash their hands before the sacrifice and service. The lovely fountain with flowing waters that is in front of the entrance is a symbol of the old Laver and is also a symbol of purity upon entering religious worship. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ...

The main sanctuary is large enough to hold about 1020 people. The seats are placed in a circular manner around the protruding pulpit, so that the people on one side of the synagogue can see the people on the other side.

The design is considered by critics to be the "most expressive" drafted in Wright's career for any house of worship. It has been listed by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 17 American buildings which are to be preserved as an example of Wright's contribution to American architecture. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional organization for architects in the United States. ... The United States has a history of architecture that includes a wide variety of styles. ...

External links

Philadelphia Portal

• Official Congregation homepage
• Entry in the Database of Jewish Communities
• Architectural review
• Architectural details

Image File history File links Portal. ...

References

1. ^ Interior Secretary Kempthorne Designates 12 National Historic Landmarks in 10 States. U.s. Department of the Interior Press Release (2007-04-04). Retrieved on 2007-04-15.

Coordinates: 40°04′56″N, 75°07′36″W Pennsylvanias second district includes West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill and Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County The district has an overwhelming Democratic majority. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...