Ahavas Sholem Synagogue
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Ahavas Sholem Synagogue was built in 1928 for an Orthodox Jewish congregation, which had formed in 1912 and incorporated in 1921. This area of New Haven housed a largely Jewish neighborhood during the early and mid-20th century. The synagogue fell out of use in the 1960s, when many of its members moved away. The building is notable for its Classical Revival architecture and limestone accents, seen on the ground floor facade and around the arched second-story windows. It is now used by the Thomas Hill Chapel Church of Christ.
Images
The Classical Revival synagogue building
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Ahavas Sholem Synagogue is one of several notable Connecticut synagogues. It stands out for its striking facade and Neo-Classical design. As David Ransom writes, "The gold-colored striated brick,
limestone rusticated ashlar, and extensive Judaic iconography of the facade demonstrate a
determined design effort directed, with considerable success, toward establishing a Jewish
presence in the streetscape" (p. 90).
Sources
Ransom, David. "Ahavas Sholem Synagogue." Historic Synagogues of Connecticut, USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form, Multiple Property Listing. August 26, 1994. Accessed November 10, 2018. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/95000559_text.