The sanctuary is deliberately welcoming, airy, and filled with light of the open countryside. The room seats 300 in just 7 rows, with remarkable intimacy. At the center, the Torahs are sheltered in a cylindrical Ark that is the heart of the building, forming the base for the 7 steel trusses that support the roof like the branches of a menorah or the tree of life.

For this project, the congregation needed more space and wished to make a distinctive statement of contemporary Judaism. The challenge was to build a temple that draws worshipers closer together, that invites spiritual reflection, and encourages the communitarian aspiration of the congregants.

The building is set well back on its 38-acre site, close to the adjoining hills. The intention was to establish a natural setting, preserve 24 acres of protected wetlands, and to orchestrate the approach sequence through the trees and flowering meadow. Drawing inspiration from the walls of Jerusalem, yellow-gold bricks are laid in patterns that resemble the large cut stone and varied patterns of the ancient Temple’s Western Wall.