Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue was built in 1863, five years after the first members of Victoria's Jewish community arrived during the Fraser River gold rush period. Its opening was widely celebrated in Victoria because, despite their small numbers, members of the congregation played leading roles in the social, economic and political life of both the town and the colony. The oldest surviving synagogue in Canada, the building stands as a testament to the devotion and resourcefulness of its founders and as a rare example of 19th century Romanesque synagogue architecture in Canada.