Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue

The Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue, commonly called the Frank Memorial Synagogue, is a historical Jewish synagogue, located on the grounds of Jefferson Einstein Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The synagogue was funded substantially by Rose S. Frank and named in honor of her late husband, Henry S. Frank, a philanthropist who died in 1887.[2]

Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue
The former synagogue, in 2010
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
Location
Location5501 Old York Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141
CountryUnited States
Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue is located in Philadelphia
Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue
Location of the former synagogue in Philadelphia
Geographic coordinates40°2′13″N 75°8′37″W / 40.03694°N 75.14361°W / 40.03694; -75.14361
Architecture
Architect(s)
TypeSynagogue architecture
StyleClassical Revival
Completed1901
MaterialsLimestone, granite, ceramic tiling
Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue
NRHP reference No.83002267
Added to NRHPJuly 12, 1983
[1]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[3]

History

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The synagogue was built in 1901 on the grounds of the Jewish Hospital of Philadelphia, now the Jefferson Einstein Hospital;[4][5] and is the only synagogue in the world known to be located on hospital grounds.[6]

The architect, Arnold W. Brunner, was inspired by the recent publication of images of several Roman-era synagogues in Israel, particularly the handsome and largely intact synagogue at Kfar Bar'am. Several synagogues had been studied by the British Palestine Exploration Fund and illustrations were published in the Jewish Encyclopedia.[4]

 
Synagogue at Kfar Bar'am

The Frank Memorial synagogue replicated the round arch of the door of the standing ruin at Kfar Bar'am, and the lintel from the smaller synagogue at Kfar Bar'am that is now in the Louvre. The inscription on the lintel is taken from that inscription and reads, in Hebrew, "Peace be upon the place, and on all the places of Israel."[4] Over the door is a seven-branched Menorah in a wreath, copied from the ancient Nabratein synagogue.[4] The synagogue's floors are set with mosaics, although it was built before mosaic synagogue floors had been discovered in ancient synagogues in Israel.[4]

The supervising architect was Frank Furness, who had been the principal architect of the Jewish Hospital since 1871.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Friedenwald, Herbert (1910). "Rose S. Frank". American Jewish Historical Society (19): 201–02. JSTOR 43057863. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via JSTOR.
  3. ^ "Frank, Henry S., Memorial Synagogue". Archiplanet. Archived from the original on November 18, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d e Fine, Steven (2005). "Chapter 1: Building an Ancient Synagogue on the Delaware: Philadelphia's Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue and Constructions of Jewish Art at the Turn of the Twentieth Century". Art and Judaism in the Greco-Roman world: toward a new Jewish archaeology (PDF). Cambridge University Press. pp. 12–21. ISBN 0-521-84491-6.
  5. ^ Skirble, Rosanne (March 2, 2022). "The Magic of Logan". The Tablet. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "Belated centennial celebration to be held June 4 for historic Philadelphia synagogue. Ex-Allentown couple were instrumental in building's preservation". Morning Call. April 7, 2002. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Jewish Exponent". American Architect and Architecture. 69 (1290) (September 13, 1901 ed.): xii. September 15, 1900.

Further reading

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  • The Frank Synagogue: Celebrating 100 Years. Philadelphia, PA: Albert Einstein Healthcare Network. 2001.
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