Auckland Hebrew Congregation Explained

Building Name:Auckland Hebrew Congregation
Location:514 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland
Coordinates:-36.8813°N 174.8052°W
Religious Affiliation:Orthodox Judaism
Consecration Year:1885 (Princes Street)
1968 (Greys Avenue)
Functional Status:Active
Leadership:Rabbi Moshe Rube
Architect:Edward Bartley (Princes Street)
John Godwater (Greys Avenue)
Architecture Type:Synagogue
Architecture Style:Romaneseque (Princes Street)
Modernist (Greys Avenue)
Specifications:no

Auckland Hebrew Congregation is a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Remuera, a suburb of Auckland. The congregation previously occupied University House (Princes Street Synagogue) from 1885, before relocating to a larger building on Greys Avenue in 1968. The congregation moved again in 2022, having purchased the campus of Saint Kentigern Girls' School in Remuera.[1] The synagogue serves around 500 local families.[2]

History

Princes Street

The original synagogue building on Princes Street was designed and built by Edward Bartley in 1884–1885 in a Romanesque style, incorporating Gothic and Moorish design elements.[3] [4] The foundation stone was laid by David Nathan (1816–1886), an early Jewish settler and founder of the L.D. Nathan chain of stores, and the synagogue opened on 9 November 1885.[5] The building could seat 375 people. It was built on the site of an earlier military guardhouse associated with Albert Barracks. The construction of the synagogue was a statement by the Jewish community in Auckland of not only status, but of their acceptance in the local community.[4] The building has a Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

In 1968, the congregation moved to a new synagogue on Greys Avenue.[4] Ownership of the property reverted to Auckland City Council as part of the Albert Park Reserve following the deconsecration.[6] It has since served as a branch of the National Bank of New Zealand. The bank restored the building in 1989, preserving the stained glass windows as well as the Romanesque and Eastern decorative motifs.[7] The building currently serves as the University of Auckland's Alumni Relations and Development office.[7]

Greys Avenue

As the congregation grew in size, a larger building was needed to meet it needs and a plot was purchased on Greys Avenue, overlooking Myers Park.[8] The Princes Street synagogue was deconsecrated in 1969.[9] The new inner-city synagogue was consecrated on 8 September 1968.[10] It was designed by New Zealand Jewish architect, John Goldwater in a modernist style. The synagogue was the recipient of an architectural award in 1970.[11] The synagogue and complex underwent a US$6.63 million refurbishment in 2008 and future Jewish prime minister, John Key, attended the reopening.[12] In 2010, the congregation led a successful challenge against the New Zealand government, allowing shechita, after a ban had been put in place.[13] In 2011, Israel's Speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin addressed the congregation. It marked the first official Israeli state visit to the country in a quarter of a century, since President Chaim Herzog's visit in 1986.[14] The buildings and sanctuary were used for filming by Simone Nathan in her 2022 TV series, Kid Sister.[15] The Greys Avenue complex was also home to Kadimah, the Jewish primary school, Auckland Jewish Immigration and the city's only kosher café.[16]

Remuera Road

In 2019, with the assistance of the Woolf Fisher Trust, the congregation purchased the campus of Saint Kentigern Girls' School in Remuera.[17] Kadimah relocated from Grey's Avenue to the Remuera campus in 2023.[18] Other Jewish organisations and the Kosher café/deli are also in the process of relocating to the site, creating the main hub for Jewish life in Auckland.[1] The city's Reform congregation, Beth Shalom has also been invited to relocate to the campus.[19] The Auckland Hebrew Congregation plans to build a new sanctuary and synagogue in the future on the grounds of the campus.[20] It currently holds services in the original homestead on the property. The house had been built in 1918 for the Louisson family who, later downsized to a smaller property and sold the home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[21] The property and campus later formed part of Corran School, a private girls school, before becoming Saint Kentigern's Girls' School following a 2009 merger.[21] There are also plans for a mikvah on the site, a cultural centre and provision for Jewish youth groups.[20] In recent decades, the congregation has stepped up efforts to encourage Jewish immigration to New Zealand, mostly focusing on Jewry in South Africa, Argentina and Israel.[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.jewishlives.nz/community/a-new-jewish-centre-for-auckland A new Jewish Centre for Auckland
  2. https://www.ahc.org.nz/membership Membership
  3. http://www.hotcity.co.nz/downloads/hwengineering.pdf Heritage Walks – The Engineering Heritage of Auckland
  4. 54-55.
  5. Mara Weiss. The Jewish Virtual History Tour, New Zealand. Retrieved 12 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  6. Web site: Former Synagogue Conversion, Auckland . Salmond Reed Architects . 11 March 2018.
  7. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/historic-city-synagogue-for-sale/VTTCAKBBDK2HRAVEDENPTML5YM/ Historic city synagogue for sale
  8. Anéne Cusins-Lewer and Julia Gatley. The 'Myers Park Experiment' (1913–1916) and its Legacy in Auckland. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  9. News: Historic city synagogue for sale . The New Zealand Herald . 9 March 2018 . 11 March 2018.
  10. https://www.jewishlives.nz/community/greys-avenue-1967-68 Greys Avenue 1967-68
  11. https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15929/synagogue-and-school Synagogue and school (3rd of 3)
  12. https://www.jta.org/2008/09/14/default/jewish-challenger-to-clark-in-new-zealand Jewish challenger to Clark in New Zealand
  13. https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/jewish-news/ban-on-ritual-poultry-slaughter-nixed-in-new-zealand Ban on ritual poultry slaughter nixed in New Zealand
  14. https://www.jta.org/2011/04/04/global/demonstrators-protest-israeli-knesset-speakers-new-zealand-visit Demonstrators protest Israeli Knesset speaker’s New Zealand visit
  15. https://www.heyalma.com/simone-nathans-televised-love-letter-to-kiwi-jews/ Simone Nathan’s Televised Love Letter to Kiwi Jews
  16. https://www.jta.org/2011/01/25/ny/kiwi-cool Kiwi Cool
  17. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/111878939/auckland-private-school-saint-kentigern-sells-campus-to-hebrew-congregation Auckland private school Saint Kentigern sells $23m campus to Hebrew Congregation
  18. https://www.kadimah.school.nz/news-1 News
  19. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f14b7e6fe5be07ce0c44832/t/620adb0550a02642680a7bd8/1644878611752/Move+Vision+-+Website.pdf 2. Current Status of Beth Shalom moving to Remuera Road
  20. https://plus61j.net.au/swapping-a-synagogue-for-a-school-auckland-jewry-makes-a-brave-move/ Swapping a synagogue for a school: Auckland Jewry makes a brave move
  21. https://www.saintkentigern.com/about-us/our-heritage/girls-school-history/ Girls' School History
  22. https://www.jta.org/2003/10/10/ny/the-good-life-in-kiwi-country The Good Life In Kiwi Country