The Wilson Road Synagogue is a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 11 Wilson Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation was formed in 1914 and worshiped in the Ashkenazi rite until the congregation was dissolved in 1997.
| Wilson Road Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 Façade of the former synagogue | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism (former) |
| Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | |
| Location | |
| Location | 11 Wilson Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield, England S11 8RN |
| Country | United Kingdom |
  Location of the former synagogue in Sheffield | |
| Geographic coordinates | 53°22′11″N 1°29′56″W / 53.3696°N 1.4988°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Mansell Jenkinson |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | Neo-classical |
| Date established | 1914 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Capacity | 970 worshipers |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Synagogue, Wilson Road |
| Type | Listed building |
| Designated | 11 February 1992 |
| Reference no. | 1270715 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Succah 2 metres south west of synagogue |
| Type | Listed building |
| Designated | 11 February 1992 |
| Reference no. | 1254575 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Boundary wall and gates to synagogue, Wilson Road |
| Type | Listed building |
| Designated | 11 February 1992 |
| Reference no. | 1067334 |
| [1][2][3][4] | |
The building has been used as a church since 2000.
History
editSheffield had a Jewish population from the 1780s, and its first synagogue was built in 1851 on Fig Tree Lane in the city centre. However, communal disputes led to a second congregation being established on North Church Street in 1914. This group constructed a synagogue on Wilson Road, near Hunters Bar, in 1930.[5]
The building was designed by Mansell Jenkinson in a Neo-classical style, featuring a portico in the Doric order. It is built of brick, with faience dressings, and also has notable internal features, including a granite ark, choir gallery and hardwood pews.[6][2] The sukkah is in a neighbouring building, designed so that its flat roof can be slid open.[3]
During World War II, the city centre synagogue was destroyed by bombing, and much of its community came to worship at Wilson Road. However, they later established a new building, Kingfield Hall, in Nether Edge. The Jewish population of the city reached about 1,500 in the 1950s, but then entered a long decline. In the 1960s, the two communities joined together, and in 2000, the resulting independent congregation moved to a new building at the Kingfield Hall site.[7] The Wilson Road Synagogue was subsequently converted into a church.[6]
The synagogue, sukkah, and adjacent boundary wall and gates were listed as Grade II buildings in 1992.[2][3][4]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Shulman, David (14 April 2024). "The former Sheffield Hebrew Congregation". Jewish Communities & Records UK. JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Synagogue, Wilson Road (1270715)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Succah 2 metres south west of synagogue (1254575)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Boundary wall and gates to synagogue, Wilson Road (1067334)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ Krausz, Armin. Sheffield Jewry. p. 128.
- ^ a b Harman, Ruth. Pevsner Architectural Guide: Sheffield. p. 262.
- ^ "History of our community". Sheffield Jewish Congregation and Centre. Retrieved 7 September 2015.