Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, near Philadelphia, grew from a small group of twenty-five families who began meeting in North Philadelphia in 1917 into a major Conservative Jewish congregation. Under Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen, it adopted a more progressive religious life and moved to the suburbs after World War II as members relocated. Cohen’s close collaboration with Frank Lloyd Wright produced the congregation’s main sanctuary, dedicated in 1959, the only Jewish house of worship Wright designed. With its hexagonal plan, soaring pyramidal roof, and symbolic modern form, the building joined worship, education, and architecture in a singular landmark of religious and design history.

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Cheltenham, Pennsylvania · USA