Sinai Synagogue, Leeds | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
Leadership | Rachel Weston (Cantor) |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | Roman Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England LS8 2AN |
Country | United Kingdom |
Location of the synagogue in Yorkshire | |
Geographic coordinates | 53°50′50″N1°30′37″W / 53.8471°N 1.5103°W |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Halpern & Associates |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Style | Modernist |
Date established | 1944 (as a congregation) |
Completed | 1960 |
Website | |
sinaileeds | |
[1] |
Sinai Synagogue is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located on Roman Avenue in Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation was founded in 1944 [2] and is affiliated to the Movement for Reform Judaism. [3]
Prior to World War II the Jewish community in Leeds was overwhelmingly Orthodox. [4] Rabbi L. Graf of the Reform Synagogue in Bradford attempted to start a community of worship in Leeds, presiding over a service of six people in a house in Oakwood on 8 January 1944. [4] Numbers grew and services moved to a variety of sites, eventually buying the defunct Sephardi Synagogue building at 21 Leopold Street, Leeds 7 in November 1951, which was used until 16 September 1960. [4]
Plans for a new building on Roman Avenue began in 1957. Construction began in March 1960, and was completed in November of the same year. [4] It was designed by Halpern & Associates of London.[ citation needed ] On 12 June 1960 the foundation stone was laid and a section of Harehills Cemetery consecrated for the use of the congregation. [4] The building was consecrated on 6 November 1960. [4]
In 1969 it was recognised as a "major organisation in the community" by the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, gaining a seat on the Council's executive. [4]
Cultural activities such as religious classes expanded until they were too large for the rooms, so a temporary building was erected in the car park in 1965; this was used until 1985, by which time additional rooms had been attached to the synagogue. [4]
The community has a burial ground in current use at Harehills Cemetery, Leeds, which is managed by Leeds City Council. [5]
The congregation publishes a quarterly magazine, the Sinai Chronicle. [6]
Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Leeds city centre. Harehills is between the A58 and the A64. It sits in the Gipton & Harehills ward of Leeds City Council and the Leeds East parliamentary constituency, between Burmantofts and Gipton, and adjacent to Chapeltown.
Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Leeds City Council Ward of Chapel Allerton. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre.
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