Israel Goldstein Synagogue
| Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue | |
|---|---|
The Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Edmond J. Safra (Givat Ram) Campus, Hebrew University, Jerusalem |
| Geographic coordinates | 31°46′12″N 35°11′52″E / 31.770007°N 35.197748°ECoordinates: 31°46′12″N 35°11′52″E / 31.770007°N 35.197748°E |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach determined by prayer leader |
| Country | Israel |
| Year consecrated | 1957 |
| Status | University synagogue |
| Leadership | Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Heinz Rau and David Resnick |
| Architectural style | Organic |
| Completed | 1957 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 100 |
| Height (max) | 12 feet 3 inches (3.73 m) |
| Materials | Exposed concrete |
The Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue is a synagogue on the Edmond J. Safra Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University in Israel named in honor of Rabbi Israel Goldstein, an American-born Israeli rabbi, author, and Zionist leader. Designed by two Israeli architects--the German-born Heinrich Heinz Rau and the Brazilian-born David Resnick--it has been listed as one of the "ten most beautiful synagogues in Israel," and called "without a doubt, a landmark in local architecture."
In 1964, the synagogue design was awarded the Rechter Prize by the Israeli Architects Association.
The original site of Israel's Hebrew University was Mount Scopus, an area that was captured by Jordan during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Subsequently, Givat Ram was identified as the site of the new campus, with the area largely undeveloped by 1957, when the synagogue was built. The site has been described as "a largely bare, rocky plateau and each building sat on it almost as if in a desert."
The synagogue is located on Elyashar Street (Derekh Elyashar).
Much of the funding for the synagogue came from friends of Rabbi Goldstein, in honor of his 60th anniversary. At the April 1958 ceremony formally dedicating the new Givat Ram campus and opening 21 new campus building, Dr. George S. Wise, Chairman of the university's International Board of Governors, noted that the synagogue was one of ten buildings constructed with the help of donations from both organizations and individual donors in the U.S.
The synagogue is 12.25 feet high, with an exterior in the shape of a "concrete hemisphere" on eight arches. The floor of the synagogue is a raised platform, and the interior has no windows, "yet in a sense is adorned by light, which ripples up from below on all sides." Within the domed worship space there is room for 100 worshippers. Separate sections for male and female worshipers are located on the same level, separated by a wooden screen.
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