The Mill Street Synagogue was the first Jewish congregation structure built in America in 1730 (Gruber 1). According to Gruber, despite the wide variety of synagogue architectural styles, “The American synagogue has responded to the changing architectural landscape and the challenges faced by Judaism” (1). Most early American synagogues had incorporated into their architecture motifs styles that were popular in the era they were built in addition to common elements used in synagogue architecture for centuries. Synagogue derives from the Greek word synagein (to bring together) and architecturally a synagogue demands “only and enclosed space to allow a congregation to assemble for prayer and to hear the Torah” (Gruber 1). With respect to the interior, a synagogue requires an Ark to hold the Torah scrolls and a platform for the speaker to stand upon when reading the Torah known as a bima. In traditional orthodox synagogue architecture, the bima is in the center of all Ashkenazic synagogues. In Shephardic synagogues it is often placed beside the wall opposite the ark. During the nineteenth century, religious reforms called for placing the bima in front of the ark. Seating can be arranged in a variety of manners in the synagogue; however, in orthodox synagogues there is traditionally separate seating for women and men.
American synagogues have been primarily of two types. The first is those that were modeled on styles popular in previous eras, like Italianate, Renaissance, Queen Anne and even Egyptian. The other type is those that took on the styles of architecture popular in the era or adopted the materials and methods of architecture of local surroundings. One popular style of architectures that is rarely used in the construction of synagogues is the Gothic style because of its connotations of Christianity. The oldest surviving synagogue in America is an example of those that incorporated traditional synagogue ele...