Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue is a historic

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

located on

Druid Hill Park Druid Hill Park is a urban park in northwest Baltimore, Maryland. Its boundaries are marked by Druid Park Drive (north), Swann Drive and Reisterstown Road (west and south), and the Jones Falls Expressway / Interstate 83 (east).Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

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. The synagogue is significant due to its association with the immigration of

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and

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an Jews to Baltimore. It is a rock-faced stone structure with large arched stained glass windows and a pedimented roofline surmounted by a central copper-clad dome. Its name means ''Gates of Prayer'' in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

History

The synagogue was designed by architect Stanislaus Russell and built on a budget on $250,000.Will Lay Cornerstone: Ceremony At Shaarei Thloh Synagogue Site Tomorrow
. ''The Baltimore Sun''. July 9, 1921. p. 5. The cornerstone of the Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue was laid on July 10, 1921. Constructed from 1921 and 1927 for $285,000, it is one of the oldest functioning synagogue buildings in Maryland. It holds 700 men and 300 women. The synagogue has a turquoise dome, stained glass windows, and a sanctuary with a balcony for women's seating.Feiler, Alan H.
'It's Part Of Our Heritage': Shaarei Tfiloh's listing on a landmarks registry may attract new members, and dollars, to an old shul
. ''Baltimore Jewish Times''. January 10, 1997. p. 28. At the time the synagogue was built, the surrounding "Park Circle" area was a thriving Jewish community. However, the Jewish community moved away from the neighborhood during the 1960s, primarily to Upper Park Heights,

Randallstown Randallstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-century tavern-keepers. At that time, Randallstown was a tollgate cro ...

Pikesville Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore. The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...

, and

Owings Mills Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. Per the 2020 census, the population was 35,674. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus of ...

. Eventually the synagogue ceased regular Sabbath (Saturday) services and only conducted services on the Jewish

High Holy Days The High Holidays also known as the High Holy Days, or Days of Awe in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim ( he, יָמִים נוֹרָאִים, ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm''; "Days of Awe") #strictly, the holidays of Rosh HaShanah ("Jew ...

. Its first president was Louis Cordish, father of state politician Paul L. Cordish.

Religious services

Beginning in the mid-2000s, the synagogue started conducting one "weekday" service a week, on Sunday mornings, in an effort to re-invigorate it, although Sabbath services are still not conducted. The synagogue is also occasionally used for special events (such as weddings) and as a location for "period" photography. As has been the case since its founding, the synagogue conforms to

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teachings and practices, but welcomes all as worshipers and members, regardless of personal affiliation.

Cemetery

The Shaarei Tfiloh Congregation Cemetery is located on 5800 Windsor Mill Road.Shaarei Tfiloh Congregation Cemetery

Historic designation

Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1996. It appeared in the 1999 movie ''

Liberty Heights ''Liberty Heights'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. The film is a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. Portrayed are the racial injustices experienced bot ...

''. Howard Perlow and David Cordish are co-presidents and David E. Herman is the

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

References

External links

*, including photo from 1994, at Maryland Historical Trust Lithuanian-Jewish culture in Maryland Neoclassical architecture in Maryland Neoclassical synagogues Orthodox Judaism in Baltimore Orthodox synagogues in Maryland Polish-Jewish culture in Baltimore Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore Synagogues completed in 1927 Synagogue buildings with domes Russian-Jewish culture in Baltimore Synagogues in Baltimore Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places Ukrainian-Jewish culture in Baltimore {{BaltimoreCityMD-NRHP-stub