Blue and Gold Synagogue, USA

The Blue and Gold Synagogue is an abandoned Jewish religious building in the USA. We visited this location during the first half of the USA Road Trip 2018.

History of the abandoned Blue and Gold Synagogue

The Jewish community first settled here in the early 1900s. At this time religious services took place in homes and small rented rooms. Subsequently, in the 1920s, the community raised funds to construct a synagogue. Looking forward the synagogue would act as a hub in this thriving region.

This Blue and Gold Synagogue is the spectacular results of that dream. Inside, it is exquisite. The walls of the main chamber are yellow. Arches and stained-glass windows line the back wall. The ceiling is navy blue and has gilded, golden stenciling. A large arch supports the roof. The arch cuts across the middle of the sanctuary, with a pendant light fitting hanging from the apex.

The beautiful circular sanctuary held over 1,000 worshippers and supported the community as it grew to its peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Every summer, a grand fundraiser was held on the grassy land around the synagogue; this was the annual highlight of the social calendar and the whole community would attend.

Closure as the region declined in the 1990s

Declining industry and failed urban regeneration plans in the 1960s saw the area begin to decline. The Jewish community decreased in the 1970s, and the congregation began to dissipate as families moved to more suburban areas. It became clear to the congregational leadership that downsizing and relocation would be essential.

The Blue and Gold Synagogue closed in the mid-1990s; the now tiny congregation dwarfed by the large grand sanctuary. Following this, the beautiful wooden ark and Torah scrolls were moved into storage for safe keeping.

Nowadays the abandoned Blue and Gold Synagogue stands empty, awaiting possible redevelopment plans to emerge.