The challenge for this small reformed Congregation was to create a meaningful and timeless design for the traditional three-fold purpose of a synagogue … a house for study, a house for prayer, and a house of meeting … designed for people who wish to share a warmth of heart and spirit.  From the outside appearance of the building, which was fashioned to look like a Torah Scroll unfurling from right to left, to the pattern of the walkway in the form of an olive branch, each and every element was created to reflect the philosophy of the Congregation.

 

Shaped in the form of an amphitheater, the Sanctuary was created to maximize congregation intimacy around the skylight covered Bimah.  The Sanctuary is only 10 rows deep, containing 200 seats on the floor, with 175 seats along stepped aisles along the sides, designed to integrate the main level with the balcony seating above.   The central feature of the Sanctuary is the container for the Scrolls...the Ark.  Fabricated of maple and eucalyptus wood, a series of curved sliding panels open to reveal a silver metallic curtain.

 

Surrounding the Sanctuary are seven tiered classrooms.  These rooms utilize folding partitions which can be opened individually for additional Sabbath seating and, when fully opened, provide 1,200 additional seats for the High Holy Days.