Which Pennsylvania synagogue did Wright design?

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The Pennsylvania synagogue Frank Lloyd Wright designed was Beth Sholom Synagogue.

Beth Sholom is a Conservative Jewish congregation in Elkins Park, a Philadelphia suburb. Its main building was commissioned in the 1950s by Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen, who sought a striking modern house of worship for a congregation that had moved from Philadelphia into the suburbs after World War II.

Wright's design uses a hexagonal plan and a dramatic pyramidal roof made from glass, fiberglass, steel, and reinforced concrete. The luminous structure was intended to evoke Mount Sinai and an eternal flame. The main sanctuary, on the upper level, seats more than 1,000 people, while a smaller chapel occupies the lower level.

The building was completed in 1959 and dedicated after Wright's death that year, with Taliesin Associated Architects overseeing final work. Beth Sholom is often confused with Wright's churches, including Unity Temple and the First Unitarian Society Meeting House. Those are religious buildings, but Beth Sholom is his only completed synagogue and his only large Philadelphia-area design.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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