The New York herald., 1868-03-08
THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE ON FIFTH
AVENUE. sa

1tE JEWlSH SINAGUUUE UN FIT II
AVENUE.
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One of the most costly as well as one Of the
most magnificent church edifices in this city will
be the new Jewish synagogue in process of erec-
ton at the corner of Forty-thi street and Fifth
avenue. This splendid temple of worship, to be
christened when completed the Temple Eman-
uel, while in design and elaborate workmanship
there is evident the luxurious tendencies Of modern
times, can hardly be regarded any way ncon-
sstent with the ancient worship of this historical
people, when the vast extent, costly ma
terial and pomp of splendor Of the Tenn
pie of Solomon called to mind. On
q street where is centred the most of the
wealth of our city, and whose gorgeous churches
in keeping with the gorgeous palaces of this far
famed avenue, this vast temple will command gene
raj attention and admiration. The uniqueness OF
its design, being fashioned after the ancient Al
hambra in Spain, sort of revival, so to speak, oil
the old Moorish castles, will attract universal
notice, and upon its lofty pinancies the eyes OF
strangers visiting the city will linger long and
wonderngly, for in their eyes, as in the eyes OF
every one, its gigantic but graceful proportions
will loom up to view
scarce less strangely than those more massy
and mysterious giants Of architecture those Titanic
fabrics which point In EgyptS plains TO times that
have no other record
year ago last August the ground was broken
for this structure for Jewish worship. The expec-
tation is to complete it by the commencement OF
the next Jewish new year. The lot ana building ing
surprising that expended upon any church
edice in this city, and that probably will only be
surpassed in expense by the Roman Catholic Ca
thedral the avenue. The size OF the build
ing is 90 feet 'front.' l65 feet in DEPTH and height OF
ceiling in the centre " feet from the principal
floor. On the two front corners arc to be steeples
IA - I,nt..
rising above the apex of the roof, four pinacles.
On either side, 80 feet from the front, will be tran
| septs Al feet wide, each also to be crowned with
four pinnacles. These transepts rise above lower
leries, these side roofs being 80 feet above the
main floor and their width 26 feet The
exterior of the building is stone, of va
rious lighter shades Of brown, portion
being Scotch granite-some having been
brought from Nova Scotia, some from Ohio and
some from New Jersey. These different colorcd
stones are most artistically arranged, and their
general effect is most pleasing to the taste, per-
feet, not to say exquisite, harmonzing of color
being maintained throughout. There are to be
three massive arched doors in front, and the win
dows arc likewise to be arched as well as immense
in size. Altogether, with its curious combination
Of various colored stones and their curousy sculp.
tured ornamentation, and with its curi0usly
wrought steepes and pinnacles and roof, all in the
ancient Moorish style, and the grandly impressive
air of solidty as well as uniqueness pervadng the
whole, the exterior, when the edifce is completed,
will be marvel of beauty and skill as well as o
marvel OF wonder.
If strangers will regard wonderingly the out.
side of the building they will look with increased
wonder upon the inside. All that taste and inge.
nuity devise to beautify and adorn will be cx.
pended here. The pews, each holding eight per.
sons, and to be divided by six grand aisles, will be
of walnut richly carved and ornamented, the
ceilings are to be arched and painted In fresco,
and ornamented castings will decorate the pillars
supporting the ceilings. The chancel where the
ark is to be, and which is to be thirty -four feet
wide by fourteen feet in depth, will be most elab
orately ornamented, although showing only the
synagogues. Over the cbance but far up neal
the uppermost ceiling, will be gallery, called
the echo gallery, and on grand occasions tc
be occupied by the choir, who ordinarily will
occupy a gallery fronting the chancel over the
main vestibue, and who, to assist them in theii
part of the church service are TO have by the way
an organ akin in dimensions to the immense one
in Henry Ward Beechers church-ihe only thing
except In selling the pcws Mt auction, in which
there will be any rivalry between the two
churches. On either side are 10 be ten large win
dows, each seventeen feet high BY ten in width
and TO extend below and above the galleries
There will also be nine smaller windows on each
side near the upper ceiling. thus afording abun
dan light as well as ventilation, and, besides al
these three windows in rosette-onc In eentre OF
the font and two in the opposing side transepts-
each twelve feet wide and modelled after the
form Of the shield worn by King David ir
battle. On either side to be triiorm arches
story for the spectators to occupy. The orna
mentation of these, as Of all the arches in the
church, will be the most strkingly beautiful
feature of the interior, nothing of the kind ever
having been before attempted in this country
Each is to have scoops underneath about
eighteen inches wide, retaining about five inches
in the scollop, with projection of ten inches.
These ornaments in relief, with gliding and
coloring between in the Moorish style. Around all
the windows there are to be beautiful and artistic
mouldngs in plaster, in bas relief, aud decorated
in the same style with Gillcourse bond and
other mouldings about the bases and capitals. o.
namentaton in the highest perfection will in fact
show itself everywhere. There are two spacious
vestbules, an outer and an inner one, and three
wide starways leading to the galleries
two in front and one in the rear. Back
of the chancel are two committee rooms.
Underneath the church proper is the same amount
Of superficial space divided into q lecture room
and rooms for school purposes. Still lower down
Is a sub-bascment for beating apparatus TO heat
the church. II will be freproof throughout.
When the building is completed the city will have
just reason to be proud Of it as monument Of
Ferrbach are the architects Ernst Eiditz the
builder, and Messrs Powers Bros. do the interior
0rnamentaton.
The synagogue so briefly and imperfectly de-
scribcd as above ia beipQ built by a congregation
of reformed Jews--a portion OF the Jews denomi-
mated liberals and who maintain modernized
liberty of thought and action in regard to the
ancient precepts and ceremonials OF worship OF
this peculiar people, segment OF Jews, IN fact,
more scr,,puous brethren that the Unitarian or
liberal Christians bear 70 the orthodox Church.
The CATION TO take possession Of this church
n now WorShippinR IN Twelfth street. under the