Daniel Hillel Freelander From Reform Judaism, Fall 1994Reprinted with permission. Reform synagogue architecture in America has from the beginning followed artistic trends and architectural norms. Jewish immigrants from Central Europe, who erected their community’s first and second synagogues between the 1840s and 1930s, sought to win the respect and admiration of their non-Jewish neighbors by …

Written and illustrated by Yaacov Agam From Reform Judaism, Fall 1994 Reprinted with permission. What is the function of the synagogue, and does the architecture meet the needs of the worshipers? After considering these questions for many years, I have concluded sadly that the architectural organization of most synagogues inhibits rather than enhances the spiritual …