Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
| Sixth and I Historic Synagogue | |
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Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in 2006
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 Location within Washington, D.C.
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| Basic information | |
| Location | 600 I Street NW, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Geographic coordinates | 38°54′02″N 77°01′13″W / 38.90059°N 77.020238°WCoordinates: 38°54′02″N 77°01′13″W / 38.90059°N 77.020238°W |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Country | United States of America |
| Leadership | Shelton Zuckerman, president Heather Moran, executive director |
| Website | www.SixthandI.org |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Louis Levi |
| Architectural type | Synagogue |
| Architectural style | Moorish Revival, Romanesque Revival, and Byzantine Revival |
| Completed | 1908 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome height (inner) | 69 feet (21 m) |
| Dome dia. (inner) | 25 feet (8 m) |
| Materials | vitrified brick and terra cotta |
The Sixth & I Historic Synagogue is a non-denominational, non-membership, non-traditional Jewish synagogue located at the corner of Sixth Street and I Street, NW in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the city. In addition to hosting religious services for different Jewish denominations, the synagogue hosts many lectures, concerts, and art exhibitions for the general public.
The building was constructed by the Adas Israel Congregation and dedicated on January 8, 1908, near what was then the main commercial district in town and the center of the Jewish community in Washington. In 1951 the congregation moved to a new building on Connecticut Avenue and sold its building on the corner of 6th and I Streets, NW to the Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church. The church in turn moved to Hyattsville, Maryland, fifty years later.
Three local Jewish developers saved the historic building from being turned into a nightclub and preserved it to its original roots as a synagogue. The main impetus for the restoration came from real estate developer Shelton Zuckerman, who contacted Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin, who in turn contacted Douglas Jemal. Working from wedding photos from 1949, the building was returned to its original design and decor. It was rededicated and opened to the public on April 22, 2004.
Sixth & I has been recognized by The Slingshot Fund in 2007-2008 as well as 2008-2009. Slingshot recognizes "the 50 most inspiring and innovative organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community today." Furthermore, in 2009, Sixth & I was named one of America's 25 most vibrant congregations in Newsweek magazine.
Guest speakers have included Jim Gaffigan,Elie Wiesel, Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nancy Pelosi, David Gregory, Chris and Kathleen Matthews, George W. Bush, Annie Leibovitz, Lewis Black, Toni Morrison, Tom Brokaw, A. B. Yehoshua, Rob Riggle, Amy Sedaris, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Glenn Greenwald, Temple Grandin and John Kerry.
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