A wide central gable is flanked by short octagonal towers and the whole is executed in vigorous polychrome brickwork. The façade is dominated by a vast window with Art Deco tracery and brilliant stained glass. The window is framed by concentric brick arches with lozenge patterning. Running below the window is a mosaic band with a Hebrew scripture. At the summit of the gable are stone tablets representing the Ten Commandments.
The synagogue was entered through twin double-doors enclosed within the central arch. Divided by octagonal half-columns, the doors have large fanlights containing stained glass in vibrant abstract designs. Low wings project at the four corners of the building, each decorated with patterned brickwork. Glass had a passion for brightly-coloured façades: the synagogue is composed of red and yellow ablaq brickwork, interlaced with an attractive artificial stone to produce a bold polychromy typical of Byzantine architecture.
The synagogue originally housed one of Sunderland’s richest interiors. The central space or sanctuary was spanned by a barrel-vaulted ceiling, which was once painted to resemble a star-spangled sky. Galleries lined three sides of the interior, supported on iron columns with palmette capitals. The galleries were provided for women, since orthodox synagogues allocate separate spaces to male and female worshippers. Synagogues are typically oriented to face Jerusalem and the east end of the building is therefore the most sacred. Light streams through the vast east window, which has a large Star of David roundel at the centre. The east end was originally dominated by a magnificent gilded Aron Kodesh or Ark, a cabinet containing the Torah. This was a representation of the fabled Ark of the Covenant, in which the Hebrews carried the Ten Commandments on their journey to Israel. The Ark was essentially classical in form, but Glass was adept at synthesizing disparate styles: Islamic and Byzantine motifs were skillfully interwoven, and the columns were decorated with chevron patterns. An octagonal wooden desk once stood at the centre, with carved and painted decoration. A bimah, or central raised platform for the reading of the Torah, was added in 1968. Throughout the building, the windows have a kaleidoscopic array of stained glass in bright abstract patterns with interlinked stars. The foundation stone was laid by Dr. J. Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. The date is given according to the both the Gregorian calendar (14 March 1928) and the Jewish calendar (22 Adar 5688).
Christian churches are usually designed according to established traditions in a limited range of accepted architectural styles. However, the design of synagogues is usually specific to the time and place in which they are built. Most appropriate the forms and features of local religious buildings in order to assimilate into their surroundings. The striking design of Sunderland Synagogue is an Art Deco interpretation of the Byzantine style. Byzantine architecture was characterised by powerful arches and luminous mosaics. With its epic scale and sense of exoticism the style was thoroughly appropriate for synagogues. Art Deco, however, was a glamorous style of the 1920s and 30s, an era known as the ‘Jazz Age’. The style was based on a fusion of ancient and modern sources, from Cubism to the art of Egypt. In Britain, the style was mainly used for cinemas. This may seem a strange allusion for a place of worship, but Glass had a particular affection for these Art Deco dream-palaces. The synagogue’s arcaded porches resemble cinemas of the period and the radiating arches around the central window are reminiscent of the Art Deco sunburst motif. The 1920s was also the age of historical epics such as The Ten Commandants (1923). It may have been these visions of the ancient world that induced the architect to use cinematic Art Deco in his design.
M.K. Glass designed a remarkably similar building, Clapton Federation Synagogue, in 1932, but this was demolished in 2006. Sunderland Synagogue is therefore the architect’s last surviving synagogue and this makes it all the more valuable as a treasure of Jewish heritage. Sadly, the once strong Jewish community in Sunderland has dissipated in recent years and the synagogue closed for worship in 2006. The building was sold in 2009 and most of the internal features have now been stripped away. As a result, Sunderland has lost its most unique and brilliantly exotic interior.
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