Princes Road Synagogue
Encyclopedia
Princes Road Synagogue, located in Toxteth
, Liverpool
in England
, is the home of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation. It came into existence when the Jewish community in Liverpool in the late 1860s decided to build itself a new synagogue
, reflecting the status and wealth of the community. Liverpool's magnates were filling Toxteth with opulent mansions and the synagogue stands in a cluster of houses of worship designed to advertise the wealth and status of a group of captains of industry that was remarkably ethnically diverse, by the standards of Victorian England. Immediately adjacent to Princes Road are the magnificent Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
, and a handsome, early French gothic, Welsh Presbyterian Church
, designed by William James Audsley
and George Ashdown Audsley
, architect brothers from Edinburgh
, who built Princes Road Synagogue at a cost of £
14,975 8s 11d. It was consecrated on September 2, 1874.
Architectural historian H. A. Meek calls Princes Road "stunning" and it certainly is. Meek describes Princes Road, which the congregation itself describes as impressively combining Gothic Revival and Moorish Revival
architecture, as "eclectic." but he continues, "Does no eclectic design survive that is neither bizarre nor eccentric, but gathers its elements from disparate sources and blends them into a harmonious unity? Yes, of course, there are many; but let one stand for them all. He who has not seen the interior of Princes Road synagogue in Liverpool has not beheld the glory of Israel."
Princes Road, with its lofty, barrel-vaulted ceiling, lavish gilding, and unstinting use of the finest woods and marbles is widely regarded as the finest example of the Moorish Revival
style of synagogue architecture
in Great Britain
. Synagogues emulating its design are to be found as far afield as Sydney
, Australia.
The internal decoration is particularly splendid. The ladies of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation decided to hold a Bazaar and luncheon in February 1874. They invited the important dignitaries and arranged for the band of the Coldstream Guards
to play. The event raised the then massive sum of £3,000 with some change. The £3,000 was donated to the synagogue for the decoration of the interior. In today's (2005's) terms it was something in the region of £750,000.
The synagogue is a testament to the wealth and social position of Liverpool's nineteenth century Jewish magnates, a group with the wealth and taste also to commission Max Bruch
to compose the Kol Nidre
variations for cello and orchestra.
The synagogue today is attended only on Sabbath mornings and holidays, though the descendants of former members sometimes come from Manchester or London to hold weddings or bar mitzvah celebrations.
Toxteth
Toxteth is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, Toxteth is bordered by Liverpool City Centre, Dingle, Edge Hill, Wavertree and Aigburth.-Description:...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is the home of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation. It came into existence when the Jewish community in Liverpool in the late 1860s decided to build itself a new synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, reflecting the status and wealth of the community. Liverpool's magnates were filling Toxteth with opulent mansions and the synagogue stands in a cluster of houses of worship designed to advertise the wealth and status of a group of captains of industry that was remarkably ethnically diverse, by the standards of Victorian England. Immediately adjacent to Princes Road are the magnificent Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
The Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas is in Toxteth, Liverpool, situated at the junction of Berkley Street and Princes Road. It was built 1870 in the Neo-Byzantine architecture style. The architects were W. & J. Hay and the church was built by Henry Sumners. It is an enlarged version of St...
, and a handsome, early French gothic, Welsh Presbyterian Church
Welsh Presbyterian Church (Liverpool)
The Welsh Presbyterian Church in Liverpool, also known as the Welsh Catheral or Toxteth Cathedral, is a ruined church, located on Princes Road in the Princes Park area of Toxteth, Liverpool. In spite of its nicknames, it is not an actual cathedral and never was.The building was designed by the...
, designed by William James Audsley
William James Audsley
William James Audsley architect and older brother of George Ashdown Audsley also an architect with who he founded a partnership. W. & G. Audsley, who followed him to Liverpool....
and George Ashdown Audsley
George Ashdown Audsley
George Ashdown Audsley was an accomplished architect, artist, illustrator, writer, decorator and pipe organ designer who excelled in many artistic fields but is perhaps best known today for having designed the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia.Born September 6, 1838 in Elgin, Scotland, apprenticed...
, architect brothers from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, who built Princes Road Synagogue at a cost of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
14,975 8s 11d. It was consecrated on September 2, 1874.
Architectural historian H. A. Meek calls Princes Road "stunning" and it certainly is. Meek describes Princes Road, which the congregation itself describes as impressively combining Gothic Revival and Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
architecture, as "eclectic." but he continues, "Does no eclectic design survive that is neither bizarre nor eccentric, but gathers its elements from disparate sources and blends them into a harmonious unity? Yes, of course, there are many; but let one stand for them all. He who has not seen the interior of Princes Road synagogue in Liverpool has not beheld the glory of Israel."
Princes Road, with its lofty, barrel-vaulted ceiling, lavish gilding, and unstinting use of the finest woods and marbles is widely regarded as the finest example of the Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
style of synagogue architecture
Synagogue architecture
Synagogue architecture often follows styles in vogue at the place and time of construction. There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. According to tradition, the Divine Presence can be found wherever there is a minyan,...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Synagogues emulating its design are to be found as far afield as Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia.
The internal decoration is particularly splendid. The ladies of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation decided to hold a Bazaar and luncheon in February 1874. They invited the important dignitaries and arranged for the band of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
to play. The event raised the then massive sum of £3,000 with some change. The £3,000 was donated to the synagogue for the decoration of the interior. In today's (2005's) terms it was something in the region of £750,000.
The synagogue is a testament to the wealth and social position of Liverpool's nineteenth century Jewish magnates, a group with the wealth and taste also to commission Max Bruch
Max Bruch
Max Christian Friedrich Bruch , also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin repertoire.-Life:Bruch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province, where he...
to compose the Kol Nidre
Kol Nidre
Kol Nidre is an Aramaic declaration recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement...
variations for cello and orchestra.
The synagogue today is attended only on Sabbath mornings and holidays, though the descendants of former members sometimes come from Manchester or London to hold weddings or bar mitzvah celebrations.
See also
- Religion in the United KingdomReligion in the United KingdomReligion in the United Kingdom and the states that pre-dated the UK, was dominated by forms of Christianity for over 1,400 years. Although a majority of citizens still identify with Christianity in many surveys, regular church attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century,...
- History of the Jews in EnglandHistory of the Jews in EnglandThe history of the Jews in England goes back to the reign of William I. The first written record of Jewish settlement in England dates from 1070, although Jews may have lived there since Roman times...
- Architecture of LiverpoolArchitecture of LiverpoolThe Architecture of Liverpool is rooted in the city's development and history, as a major port city within the United Kingdom. It encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and has predominantly developed over the past 200 years, although several buildings date back as far at the 13th...
External links
- Art of Faith blog
- http://www.princesroad.org
- http://www.liverpool.ndo.co.uk/gatsoc/news03/page23.html
- http://www.visitliverpool.com/displayProduct.asp?productKey=7512
- http://www.nmliverpool.org/walker/exhibitions/audsleys/intro.asp
- Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation on Jewish Communities and Records - UK (hosted by jewishgen.org).