User:Pumpkin89/sandbox

Overview
On April 24th, 1960, the only synagogue in Sudbury and constructed, located at 158 John Street in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Shaar Hashomayim synagogue was designed by Mandel Sprachman (1/15/1925) who was a Toronto Architect and graduated from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1953. The synagogue can seat up to 90 people and it can be expanded to house up to 200 people for bigger events, weddings, and bar/bat Mitzvahs. This synagogue is an unaffiliated, community-led synagogue and includes a big foyer, a large auditorium accompanied by a stage, a library, two classrooms, and a study which is for the rabbi of the synagogue. The synagogue that stands on John street of Sudbury backs onto a ravine and features a courtyard at the side of the building. The same year as the construction of the synagogue, the congregation joined the united Synagogues of America, the chief organ of Conservative Judaism.

Design
The Shar Hashomayim synagogue is a post-modern-style building. The post-modern-style of architecture was established from a movement that focused on free-thinking design with conceptual consideration to the surrounding environment. Although this synagogue is post-modern-style, synagogue's can be of any architectural style, as long as it follows the rules from the Jewish Tradition. The 'Shar Hashomayim synagogue's exterior is composed of a simple façade which is constructed of brown brick with white trim. The synagogue can be accessed from the trail beside or can be accessed from the street, at the dead-end of John Street. The site that the synagogue lies on, is full of forest, and the green space surrounding the building backs onto this woodland, as well as a ravine. When visiting the Shaar Hashomayim synagogue the view is guided towards the sky because the synagogue appears to be horizontal, but this is contrasted with the repetition of vertical windows at the front of the synagogue. On the interior, these seven thin vertical windows act to divide the illumination into seven streams of light to represent the menorah. This large window inside is located behind the synagogues bema and the vertical pieces diffuse the eastern sunlight. The bema in the Jewish religion is always positioned facing east due to the Jewish tradition, as east is facing Jerusalem. Inside the synagogue also lays a clear view of a modern menorah which is also called a ner tamid and is located to the left of the bema. Ner tamid translates to the continual lamp or the eternal flame. Ner Tamid’s use electric bulbs and their purpose is more a symbol than a light source. On the exterior of the synagogue, there is a big sculpture which is constructed out of seven concrete pillars to again, represent the menorah.

Architect
Mandel Charles Sprachman was born in Toronto on January 15,1925 and passed away on February 11th, 2002. In 1953 Mandel Sprachman graduated from the University of Toronto School of Architecture and after, worked for the company, Stockholm, as a draughtsman for a year before returning to Toronto to work at his father’s architecture firm. In 1958, Mandel Sprachman opened his own architecture firm. After his death, his architectural records were given to the City of Toronto Archives which included 70 meters of textual, photographic, and architectural records and 500 rolls of architectural drawings that were done between the 1950s and the 1990s. Mandel Sprachman’s most notable achievement in his career is the restoration of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, which was completed in 1989. Most of his work included cinema and theatre-related projects that were located in the greater Toronto area. He also was interested in restorations and renovations to existing building as well as new construction.

Programs and services
Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue's goal is to work together to maintain the Jewish community life in Northern Ontario. Another goal of the synagogue is to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere as well as a meaningful, inspiring, participatory prayer experience. Shaar Hashomayim welcomes Jews of every denomination. They also welcome members of any other faith and they are greatly involved in the interfaith community of Sudbury. The service's style of leadership varies depending on the members that are leading that specific service, but every service always includes women and men. The Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue also provides Hebrew school on Sundays for the kids in the families of the Jewish community. They also have bar/ bat mitzvah lessons and adult education is available with lectures, discussion/study groups as well as special events.

Sudbury Jewish Community
The Jewish community in Sudbury only includes around 30 families that attend the Shaar Hashomayim synagogue. Much of the Jewish community is broken and the synagogue, which is the Jewish house of prayer, has only 25 active families. Obtaining the right food and supplies for Jewish holidays is only achievable by taking a trip down south towards Toronto or out to Montreal. A few of Sudbury’s Jewish residents see a lack of interest from the younger Jewish population in Sudbury and find difficultly in trying to appeal to people of various religious commitments due to the low interest.

History
The Jewish community of Sudbury dates all the way back to the founding of the Nickel city. When Sudbury’s first Jewish settler arrived in the late 1800s, others followed in the following years that came. Therefore, a Jewish presence was established very fast, especially in the downtown area due to the increasing number of booming businesses and increasing social life that was present in the little light-knit community. On the exterior of the building there is a dedication stone that marks the legacy of the Jewish Community. The Menorah design shape that architect Mandel Sprachman used throughout the design of the synagogue is one of the oldest and most used symbols in the Jewish Religion.

Documentation
The Shaar Hashomayim synagogue was featured in a project done by three University of Toronto architecture graduates, Sheldon Leitt, lynn Milstone, and Sid Tenenbaum. The project, Treasures of the people, was conducted from 1976 to 1980 and the photographs of this specific Canadian synagogue were taken in 1979. These students were traveling across Canada to photographically document all the synagogues across the country. They released a variety of work in a book entitled Treasures of the people: The synagogues of Canada (Toronto: Lest & Orpen Dennys Limited, 1985). After the book, the students donated their research and photos to the Ontario Jewish Archives.