The Xxx Drive Synagogue, officially the Yyyy New Hebrew Congregation, is a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue that was located on Xxx Drive in the Zzzz Park area of Yyy, England, in the United Kingdom.
The congregation was formed from the merger of two congregations in 1838 and prayed according to the Ashkenazi rite.
The synagogue was completed in 1937 and listed as a historical monument in 1983. The building is considered the most architecturally significant synagogue in England of the 20th century and the finest surviving architectural example of a synagogue from the interwar period.
The pretext for the founding of the synagogue can be traced to a split within the Yyy Hebrew Congregation in 1838. From this, the separate New Hebrew Congregation established its own synagogue, first on Aaa Street, then on Bbb Street, before finally establishing a purpose-built synagogue built in 1857 on Ddd Place.
After World War I, the number of Jewish community members living near the synagogue began to decline as they moved to Yyy's more affluent suburbs. One such area was around Eee Park, where Hebrew schools and a significant Jewish community took shape. In 1928, the congregation planned to move and build a larger synagogue to accommodate the growing community in Eee Park.
On August 15, 1937, the new synagogue, which had 700 seats and was built in the Art Deco style, was consecrated by ABC, a member of the community, and opened to the public.
In May 1959, a fire was started by an intruder, which destroyed the Torah ark and its scrolls and damaged part of the roof structure. The building was repaired for £50,000 and reopened in 1961.
In 1965 another fire broke out, this time on the first two floors, but the damage was limited to this area.
The building was used for the last time on January 5, 2008 and then closed because the city's Jewish population had declined sharply. The number of parishioners grew to 340 by 1938, rose to 582 in 1955 and then fell to 120 in 1999.
At around the same time, Historic England increased the building's listed status from Grade II (awarded in 1983) to the higher Grade II*. It was subsequently added to the Heritage at Risk Register of Historic England.
In 2017, the conversion of the former synagogue into a series of apartments was approved.
The congregation was formed from the merger of two congregations in 1838 and prayed according to the Ashkenazi rite.
The synagogue was completed in 1937 and listed as a historical monument in 1983. The building is considered the most architecturally significant synagogue in England of the 20th century and the finest surviving architectural example of a synagogue from the interwar period.
The pretext for the founding of the synagogue can be traced to a split within the Yyy Hebrew Congregation in 1838. From this, the separate New Hebrew Congregation established its own synagogue, first on Aaa Street, then on Bbb Street, before finally establishing a purpose-built synagogue built in 1857 on Ddd Place.
After World War I, the number of Jewish community members living near the synagogue began to decline as they moved to Yyy's more affluent suburbs. One such area was around Eee Park, where Hebrew schools and a significant Jewish community took shape. In 1928, the congregation planned to move and build a larger synagogue to accommodate the growing community in Eee Park.
On August 15, 1937, the new synagogue, which had 700 seats and was built in the Art Deco style, was consecrated by ABC, a member of the community, and opened to the public.
In May 1959, a fire was started by an intruder, which destroyed the Torah ark and its scrolls and damaged part of the roof structure. The building was repaired for £50,000 and reopened in 1961.
In 1965 another fire broke out, this time on the first two floors, but the damage was limited to this area.
The building was used for the last time on January 5, 2008 and then closed because the city's Jewish population had declined sharply. The number of parishioners grew to 340 by 1938, rose to 582 in 1955 and then fell to 120 in 1999.
At around the same time, Historic England increased the building's listed status from Grade II (awarded in 1983) to the higher Grade II*. It was subsequently added to the Heritage at Risk Register of Historic England.
In 2017, the conversion of the former synagogue into a series of apartments was approved.
