A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
From the Photo series: A Closer Look: Explore Western New York’s architectural treasures series
Temple Beth Zion, designed by architect Max Abramovitz, celebrated 50 years at 805 Delaware Ave. in April. It replaced the original temple that was destroyed by fire.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
Sunlight reflects through the eastern stained-glass windows onto the back of the sanctuary at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Delaware Avenue location in April. A massive upturned hand, rendered in shades of purple, sits center in the glass, surrounded by swirling wisps of air. The hand symbolizes creation; the lines represent the voice out of the whirlwind that spoke of the suffering Job in the bible. Above, a circular skylight funnels sunlight down on the sanctuary. The tinted glass rimming the ceiling lets light bathe the entire sanctuary during the day.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The sanctuary was dedicated in April 1967 after a fire destroyed the original Temple Beth Zion down Delaware Avenue in 1961. It was designed by architect Max Abramovitz and refurbished in 2005. Its inside is lined with rows of blue pews, their fabric stretched over dark wooden frames. There are two levels to the sanctuary, combining for a total of 1,000 seats. During Jewish high holidays, the cavernous room fills up.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The templeu2019s walls are designed like a crescendo, beginning at 45 feet in height on the buildingu2019s Delaware Avenue side and rising to 62 feet. They flare outward at 15-degree angles like the cusps of an ornate concrete bowl, and are anchored to a concrete pedestal 50 feet underground.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The stained glass window above the Delaware Avenue entrance sports a patchwork of panels, which here reflect trees.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
At the back of the building, but the front of the sanctuary, sits the Shabbat Candelabra menorah, a lecturn and two 30-feet-tall tablets featuring the Ten Commandments. Between the tablets and behind the lecturn is the Holy Ark, the holiest part of the sanctuary where the Torahs are kept. Artist and calligrapher Ben Shahn created the menorah, stained glass and the tablets, with a theme of openness.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The outside of the eastern window, which overlooks Delaware Avenue, chops reflected images at different angles. Passing traffic turns into a kaleidoscopic montage, as shown here.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
Curved sheets of Alabama limestone over steel-reinforced concrete form the walls of the temple. The walls are over three feet thick at their base and 11 inches thick at their top. To build a sense of age, architect Max Abromovitz had the walls bush-hammered to take off a quarter of an inch of the surface, giving them a worn facade.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The Shabbat Candelabra, a seven-branched menorah designed by artist Ben Shahn, uses wax candles and is made of brass and rose glass. Like the menorah in Solomonu2019s Temple, it stands at the altar.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The holes in the templeu2019s walls were left over from their original molds. They add to the acoustics of the space and its design, and represent the idea that the world is unfinished and that worshipers must work with God to make it better.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
Above the Holy Ark hangs the Ner Tamid, the eternal light, a gold-glowing lantern. The tradition of an ever-burning light dates back to the days of the temple when the menorah was always kept lit, symbolizing how close to God worshippers were. The light was designed by Ballini Studio in New York City.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The eastern window, designed by Ben Shahn, features a massive hand in shades of purple, red, blue and green.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
Temple Beth Zion was founded in 1850 and was the first Jewish Reform congregation in Buffalo. It originally stood at 599 Delaware Avenue from 1890 to 1961. The current building is at 805 Delaware.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The light fixtures that dot the sanctuary house speakers. Mercury vapor bulbs shine from the outer slots rimming the center.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
To achieve a greater level of details in the pillars at the templeu2019s Delaware Avenue entrance, seen here between cars, cabinet makers rather than capenters designed the molds that concrete was poured into. The concrete has the texture and look of wood strips for this reason.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
On the 30-feet-tall tablets, the first letter of each of the Ten Commandments is worked in blue mosaic, measuring 16 by 40 inches, with the remainder of the text scribed in gold-leaf lettering below. The animal-like shapes of the letters are characteristic of the artist, Ben Shahn.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The templeu2019s lecturn, where the Torah is read, mimics the shape of an open book by design, symbolizing the templeu2019s commitment to study. It is eight feet long and highlighted by skylights above.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
On the upper level of the sanctuary is a 4,000-pipe organ, built by Casavante Freres of St. Hyacinth, in Quebec. Along with the pipes, some of which are shown here, it boasts trumpets from the Lafayette Theater organ.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
Because of the oval shape of the buildingu2019s walls, there is no proper corner to house the buildingu2019s cornerstone. Instead, the 700-pound stone from the original 599 Delaware location sits in the wall behind the templeu2019s altar area. It lists the founding date, 1850, the dedication date of the original building, 1890, and the year of the rebuild, 1966.
A Closer Look: Temple Beth Zion
The balcony walls in the temple are ribbed with individually walnut-stained oak strips for acoustic effect. Speakers sit throughout the sanctuary.
In this Series
Photo series: A Closer Look: Explore Western New York’s architectural treasures
This series has taken Buffalo News photographers inside, outside, above and, on occasion, underneath local landmarks and to places most people…
