The Cheltenham Synagogue is a synagogue in

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

noted for its

Regency architecture Regency architecture encompasses classical buildings built in the United Kingdom during the Regency era in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to earlier and later buildings following the same style. The period co ...

. It is an independent congregation located in the town centre on Synagogue Lane, off St James's Square.

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...

judges that the Cheltenham Synagogue is one of the architecturally "best" non-Anglican ecclesiastical buildings in Britain. It is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

; the listing calls it "An outstanding example of a small provincial English synagogue".

History

The congregation first met in about 1820 in a hired space at the St George's Place entrance to Manchester Walk.John Goding, ''Norman's history of Cheltenham'', Longman, 1863, p. 472. The cornerstone for the synagogue was laid on 25 July 1837. Founded when Cheltenham was a popular spa town, the synagogue declined with the town itself and closed in 1903. It reopened in 1939 to serve evacuees 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

Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum The Wilson, formerly known as Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was opened in 1899. It offers free admission, and has a programme of special exhibitions. It was renamed The Wilson in honour of polar explorer Edwa ...

and Montpellier Walk. The synagogue's chaste, Regency facade features

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...

and a

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

. 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 c ...

saucer dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

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

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

and bimah are reused elements of the London New Synagogue in Leadenhall Street, of 1761: that congregation was in the process of building a new building, dedicated in 1838. The cost of wagon freight from London was £86.

Sharman Kadish Sharman Kadish (born 1959) is a contemporary scholar, author, historian and preservationist. Biography Kadish was born in London, England, of Russian Jewish descent. Her father was the artist Norman Maurice Kadish. She was educated at Univers ...

, ''Jewish Heritage in England: An Architectural Guide'', English Heritage, 2006, pp. 100–101 A number of unusual elements of the original furnishings survive. Among these are the original

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, 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 closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests of ...

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

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

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 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

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

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...

References

External links

*
Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation
o
''Jewish Communities and Records – UK''
(hosted by jewishgen.org). {{Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Orthodox synagogues in England Regency and Biedermeier synagogues Synagogues completed in 1839 Buildings and structures in Cheltenham Regency architecture in England Religious buildings and structures in Gloucestershire Grade II* listed religious buildings and structures Grade II* listed buildings in Gloucestershire