Congregation Rodeph Shalom
- Style
- Moorish / Mudéjar
- City
- Philadelphia, PA
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, founded in 1795, is the oldest Ashkenazic synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Its 1927 building at 615 North Broad Street combines Byzantine and Moorish Revival architecture with Art Deco finishes -- an unusual choice that set the synagogue apart on Philadelphia's civic boulevard. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007.
the building
Moorish ornament on Broad Street. The building pairs Byzantine and Moorish Revival forms with Art Deco finishes, an eclectic combination rare among Broad Street's institutional architecture and a deliberate break from conventional synagogue design of the period.
the style
The congregation chose a Byzantine and Moorish Revival design accented with Art Deco details for its 1927 building, a style tied to a strain of synagogue architecture that looked to the Islamic world rather than to Christian European traditions, setting it apart on North Broad Street.
More on Moorish / Mudéjarsignificance
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007. Founded in 1795, the congregation was the first synagogue in Pennsylvania to receive a corporate charter, in 1812, and has long been recognized as a leader within the Reform movement.
nearby
- Divine Lorraine Hotel
- Spring Garden School No. 2
- Inquirer Building
- Packard Motor Corporation Building
- Terminal Commerce Building
- The Met Philadelphia