PlaceJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is a historic Reform Jewish congregation whose monumental Fifth Avenue sanctuary is listed by Guinness World Records as the largest synagogue by floor area, at 3,523 square metres.

One East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065, United States

About

Congregation Emanu-El was founded in New York in 1845 and has played a prominent role in American Reform Judaism. Its present landmark complex on Fifth Avenue at East 65th Street opened in the late 1920s and was designed on a monumental scale, with extensive stonework, stained glass and a vast sanctuary. Guinness World Records lists the synagogue at 3,523 square metres in its largest-synagogue category. The congregation remains active, so the record site is not merely a historic building: it continues to function as a place of worship, education, culture and community life.

Public links

Records held by Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

Interior of Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

JWR VerifiedFounding Record

Jewish Heritage · SynagoguesLargest

Largest Synagogue by Floor Area

Record holder

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

Record value

3,523 m²

Temple Emanu-El's scale is part of a broader story about the confidence and visibility of American Jewish institutional life in the early twentieth century. The current Fifth Avenue sanctuary is monumental without ceasing to be a working synagogue. Guinness World Records' 3,523-square-metre benchmark gives JWR a clear measurable record, while the building's continuing use gives that measurement living cultural context.

Country: United States
Achievement location: New York City, New York, United States
Achievement date: 1929

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