Seattle's Temple de Hirsch Sinai

I'm visiting Seattle and had a chance to photograph the exterior of one of the largest and oldest Jewish congregations in Seattle. The in-town synagogue of Temple de Hirsch Sinai is located on Pike Street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and is very close to downtown Seattle. The Alhadeff Sanctuary is, once again, a beautiful example of 'Mid Century Modern' design. It is rather simple in its design, but the large scale and height of the sanctuary give the building a rather massive and impressive feel. The look of the sanctuary evokes the feel of a modern domed worship space. Very clean and simple architectural lines make this a wonderful piece of modern architecture.

Seattle's Temple de Hirsch was established as a Reform congregation in 1899. Belleview's Temple Sinai was founded in 1961. The two congregations merged in 1971 forming the present congregation. It is the largest Reform congregation in the Pacific Northwest. The Alhadeff Sanctuary of the Seattle Campus on Pike Street was completed in 1960. Adjacent to the temple complex one will find portions of the facade of the old 1908 temple. The old temple was demolished in 1993 after unsuccessful attempts at re-use, but a portion of the facade was saved. The area of the old temple now serves as a small park along with the architectural remains.