Temple Events Center, formally Temple Emanuel Synagogue

It took me some time to figure out what this building is, or was. Given the styling, I thought perhaps it had been built as an Eastern Rite or Orthodox church.

No, in fact it was a synagogue. This building was the Temple Emanuel Synagogue, built in 1899. I don't know its history beyond that, but today it is an events center and available for various uses.

Photograph with the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the background.

Of interest, this building strongly resembles the St. Peter and St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City, which was also originally built as a synagogue.

Observant folks might notice that this post was first made in February 2011, but has now reappeared in November, 2012.  The reason is that I happened to be parked in this neighborhood a couple of days ago and had the opportunity to take photographs of this structure from the sidewalk, as opposed to from inside my vehicle, as the first photo was taken.

B'nai Israel Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

This is the former B'nai Israel Temple in Salt Lake City. I don't know the date of the construction of this synagogue, but it's history is explained in the bottom photograph. Interestingly, it's located only one block away from the current St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church, which was also built originally as a synagogue. Like Temple Emmanuel in Denver, this synagogue is no longer used as a synagogue. Unlike the Denver structure, however, this former synagogue is no longer a public building, but houses the offices of an architectural firm.

Perhaps displaying my ignorance on synagogue architecture, this is the third former synagogue I've photographed where I had no idea that I was photographing a building that had originally been a synagogue. These buildings all have the appearance of Orthodox churches to me.

Of some note, this particular synagogue was modeled after Berlin's Fasanenstraße Synagogue which was destroyed during the infamous Kristallnacht by Nazi thugs. For that reason, while it is nice to see that it is so well preserved, it is a bit sad to realize that it no longer serves its original purpose.

St Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church, Salt Lake City Utah

Salt Lake City, while commonly associated with the LDS Church, is a city that features a large number of classically constructed churches in the downtown area. This church, the Orthodox Church of St. Peter & St. Paul is one such surprising example, although it was not originally constructed as a church, but rather as a synagogue in 1903. In 1987 the building was sold to an Assemblies of God Congregation, and then later to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In construction, it is remarkably church like the former Temple Emanuel in Denver which also is no longer used as a synagogue. Also like that building, the building has a strongly eastern character.

Located quite near downtown, the church features the quote, above the front door; "It was in Antioch that they were first called Christians." The Church itself is, as noted, an Antiochian Orthodox Church, a branch of the Orthodox Church, so perhaps that is not surprising. As the Antiochian Orthodox Church is the branch of the Orthodox Church associated with Orthodox Arabs, however, finding this church in Salt Lake City is a bit of a surprise.

Photograph taken with a cell phone.