Beth El Synagogue (Waterbury, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Beth El Synagogue
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 359-375 Cooke St., Waterbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Myers, Nathan; Stein, Joseph |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Byzantine |
| MPS | Historic Synagogues of Connecticut MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000560 |
| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1995 |
Beth El Synagogue is a very old and important building in Waterbury, Connecticut. It was built in 1929. It was the first synagogue in Connecticut to be designed in a special style. This style is called Byzantine Revival. The building is so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This was because of its unique architecture. It used to be a place of worship for a Jewish group. This group was called the Conservative Beth El Congregation. Today, it is home to a school called Yeshiva Ateres Shmuel. A yeshiva is a type of Jewish school.
What Does Beth El Synagogue Look Like?
The former Beth El Synagogue stands in a quiet area. It is on Cooke Street in Waterbury. The building has a beautiful dome on top. It is built in the Byzantine Revival style. Wide steps lead up to the front of the building. There are three entrances. Above the main entrance, you can see a carving. This carving shows the Decalogue, also known as the Ten Commandments.
The dome on top is finished in a shiny gold color. It has a ring of fancy leaf-like decorations called acanthus cresting. A small ornament called a finial sits at the very top.
Inside the Synagogue
When you go inside, the main worship area is very open. It goes all the way up to the dome. There are wooden pews, which are like long benches. These pews are divided by three aisles. The front part of the room is like a small stage. It has a special arch called a proscenium arch. The walls in this area are angled.
The History of Beth El Synagogue
The Beth El Congregation built this synagogue in the 1920s. This group was formed around 1920. Before this building, they had a synagogue on Park Place. The first design for the building was made by an architect named Nathan Myers.
Building the inside of the synagogue took a long time. It was finished slowly as money became available. The final touches inside the main worship area were completed in the 1950s. This included details on the paneling of the bimah, which is a raised platform. These later designs were done by a Waterbury architect named Joseph Stein.
The Beth El Congregation used this building until 2001. Their group became smaller over time. So, they sold the building and moved to Southbury.
This building is one of many historic synagogues in Connecticut. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
