COURSE OVERVIEW
Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, with various Jewish cultures and peoples living in disparate geographies all over the globe. There are various divisions of the religion, many continuing into modern times, such as Sephardic Judaism and Ashkenazi Judaism. Each of these divisions – which contain various sects and subdivisions – has different cultural practices, and many different manifestations of their houses of worship: synagogues. The study of synagogal architecture is a very small field, but one that is full of diversity and variations of form and function. This course will focus on the synagogues from a different part of the world each week, exploring their plans and iconography.
RESOURCE OVERVIEW
This database is the culmination of the work done this semester in ARTH 250. On this website, one will find information about several significant examples of Jewish synagogal architecture, each representing a different chronological, stylistic, or geographical case study. The purpose of such a database is to encourage the introduction of synagogue architecture into the art historical canon that is taught in art history survey courses – structures built for other religions’ worship are already present in these curricula, and it is essential for Judaism to be adequately represented. Art historical educators should feel free to consult this resource to find inspiration for works of Jewish architecture to add to their surveys.
DATABASE ORGANIZATION
ARTH 250 is divided into five content areas, each focusing on a different chronological, stylistic, or geographical classifier of synagogue architecture, with one or two synagogues selected to represent each case study. Although the chosen synagogues may not represent the entirety of the content area, they are the example that would be best integrated into a survey course. Next, the section on each synagogue describes three key elements: historical significance, formal qualities, and the reason for inclusion in the database. Images and sources are included for ease of curriculum planning.
Many thanks to Professor Kimberly Cassibry at Wellesley College for her mentorship and oversight in undertaking this independent study and creating this database. I am extremely grateful for all of her help as my advisor in this study.