The Cheltenham Synagogue is an Orthodox

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, located on Synagogue Lane in St James's Square of

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, in the United Kingdom. The congregation was formed in 1820 and worships in the

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

rite Rite may refer to: Religion * Ritual, an established ceremonious act * Rite (Christianity), sacred rituals in the Christian religion * Ritual family, Christian liturgical traditions; often also called ''liturgical rites'' * Catholic particular ch ...

. The synagogue building was completed in 1839, designed by William Hill Knight in the

Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

style. Assessed in 1951 as one of the architecturally "best" non-Anglican ecclesiastical buildings in Britain, the synagogue was listed as a Grade II* building in 1972 as "an outstanding example of a small provincial English synagogue".

History

The congregation first met in around 1820 in a hired space at the St George's Place entrance to Manchester Walk. The cornerstone for the synagogue was laid on 25 July 1837. It was founded when Cheltenham was a popular spa town. However, the synagogue declined with the town and closed in 1903. It reopened in 1939 to serve as an evacuation centre for those who were being rehoused from London, refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, and soldiers stationed in nearby bases, including a number of Americans.

Architecture

The elegant Regency building was designed by architect William Hill Knight (1837–9), who also designed the Cheltenham Public Library, now ' The Wilson' (formerly Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum), and Montpellier Walk. The synagogue's chaste Regency facade features Doric

pilasters In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

and a

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

. The interior features a

coffered A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also ...

saucer dome – a typically Regency feature. At the centre of the dome is a lantern made by Nicholas Adam which provides natural light. The Georgian

Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''hekhal'', , or ''aron qodesh'', ) is an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark is also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' () or ''aron ha-Kod ...

and bimah are reused elements of the London New Synagogue in Leadenhall Street from 1761. That congregation was in the process of constructing a new building, which was dedicated in 1838. The cost of wagon freight from London was £86. A number of unusual elements of the original furnishings survive. Among these are the original

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...

upholstery of the pews and bimah seats and the prayer boards. One board has the

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

prayers and the other has the prayer for the welfare of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. Victoria's name is superimposed over the names of previous British monarchs, the earliest of which is George II.

References

External links

* {{Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 1820 establishments in England 19th-century synagogues in the United Kingdom Ashkenazi Jewish culture in England Ashkenazi synagogues in the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in Cheltenham Domes in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed religious buildings and structures Grade II* listed buildings in Gloucestershire Jewish organizations established in 1820 Orthodox synagogues in England Regency architecture in England Regency and Biedermeier synagogues Religious buildings and structures in Gloucestershire Synagogue buildings with domes Synagogues completed in 1839

History

Architecture

See also

References

External links