ART1650H: Architecture of the Synagogue

Abstract

We shall examine the forms, materials, and structures of synagogues, the centers of Jewish communal life and worship, from their beginnings in the ancient world to the twentieth century. Using the comparative method, we shall explore regional influences in addition to links between liturgy and architectural form. To understand how the choices made in the construction of synagogues reveal the realities and aspirations of Jewish communities at different times and in different places, we shall discuss when and why structural and stylistic forms were adopted, why certain innovations were introduced, and why certain symbolic elements were expressed. Whenever possible, we shall compare synagogues in appropriate respects to buildings of other faiths as well as to secular buildings. Site visits to synagogues in New York will allow us to examine materials and forms first-hand