The SynagogueThe Synagogue
Synagogues, their history and decoration, represent an illuminating record of the cultural and artistic history of the Jewish people.
As a focal point for community life as well as a spiritual centre, the synagogue has both a symbolic and a practical significance. From its origins in the Tabernacle, through the exuberant Venetian synagogues of the Renaissance, to the often stark simplicity of modern buildings, Harold Meek examines the fascinating story of the building that remains central to every Jewish community.
His spirited narrative shows the diverse ways in which a vast array of cultural influences have merged to produce a rich and coherent heritage in the fields of architecture and decoration. A meticulously researched and magnificently illustrated tome, The Synagogue combines spiritual and aesthetic sensitivity with a passion for human creativity, producing an erudite and accessible introduction not just for the scholar, but for anybody with an interest in the subject.
H. A. Meek gradually unfolds the story of the synagogue from its origins in Solomon's Temple to its exuberant Baroque phase in Venice and thence to the classic simplicity of the modern building. Over the course of several millennia, the style of the synagogues has grown and developed, drawing in a vast array of cultural and artistic influences to produce a rich and coherent heritage. A heritage that is always aware of its biblical antecedents and still strongly based on God's commandments to Moses to construct a Tabernacle in the desert.
Magnificently illustrated, with much specially commissioned photography from around the world, this book provides a detailed and comprehensive picture of the synagogue and its decoration. Numerous metropolitan and provincial synagogues, from the flamboyantly Moorish to the sparsely contemporary, are represented as a monument to the art and architecture of Judaism.
Traces the history of the synagogue from King Solomon's temple to the present, and looks at various synagogues around the world from various architectural styles and periods
An engaging exploration of synagogues, their history and decoration.
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- London : Phaidon Press Limited, c1995.
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