Women Design Synagogues: Gender Insights into the History of Modern Israeli Synagogue Architecture

Abstract

Women have been active as architects in Israel since 1921, designing projects of varied types and scales, including synagogues. The first woman to design a modern synagogue in the country was Judith Segall Stolzer, who in 1935, won a prestigious competition for Hadera's central synagogue. A few decades later Genia Averbuch designed three synagogues in a remarkably innovative modern style. These female architects were noteworthy partners in the endeavor to develop a local style in the design of synagogues. This article engages with four synagogues designed by two of the country's first female architects and explores their symbolic style against the built environment of the day. It examines the architectural planning process—references, concepts, and ideas—as well as the unusual commissioning of women as architects for these projects, with an emphasis on their contribution to Israeli culture, the development of a local style in modern architecture, and synagogue design.