The Great Synagogue in Sydney was designed by Thomas Rowe more than two centuries ago and the building has remained the headquarters of the Jewish since then. The arrival of the Jews can be traced back to the convict days when a handful of them arrived to make up for the first set of non-Christians among the European settlers. This phenomenon slowly led to an unorganized form of worship by the Jews in the beginning of the eighteen hundred mainly due to the efforts by a convict named Joseph Marcus and it was regularized later by a free settler called Philip Joseph Cohen. The temporary services went on for a time till the congregation found a separate and permanent place for itself. The permanent place was in a form a dignified house built in Egyptian style in York Street, the building built in a prominent Byzantine style interspersed with Gothic characteristics still stands magnificently today. The building was once the tallest among the buildings in the area but with passage of time it has been over shadowed by other tall commercial buildings. The interior of the synagogue has been magnificently designed and once you enter you get the feeling of a huge space due to the height of the cast iron columns. The place is also exquisitely decorated with plaster decorations which come along with it and the paneled and groined ceiling. Other attractive things about the building generally include the glass stained windows and light pendants which were originally lit by gas.
The synagogue also has decorated columns, ornate wrought iron gates, ceilings with gold leaf stars and other decorative aspects which have been inspired by the architecture of synagogues which have been built in London and Liverpool. The great synagogue also houses a museum that runs a few exhibitions each year to bring forward to the general people various aspects of the lives of the Jews and their heritage. One has to seek appointment to visit the synagogue but the museum is open to the general public on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon.
Necessary Contacts and Details
166 Castlereagh Street Sydney 2000 Australia +61 2 9267 2477
