PlaceJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Former Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Historic Madison synagogue building completed in 1863 and now maintained by the City of Madison as a public event venue.

Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesFounded 1863

Gates of Heaven Synagogue, Madison, Wisconsin

Keith Dotson / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 3.0

About

The building was erected in Madison in 1863 for a Jewish congregation known as Shaare Shomaim, or Gates of Heaven; earlier congregational references also use Ahavath Achim. Regular synagogue use ended in the nineteenth century, after which the structure served a variety of secular occupants. It was saved from demolition, moved to James Madison Park in 1971 and restored. Today the City of Madison maintains it as a reservable venue for weddings, gatherings and civic uses, while occasional Jewish ceremonies and High Holy Day services also take place there. It is not a continuously active synagogue. Historic Madison synagogue building completed in 1863 and now maintained by the City of Madison as a public event venue. In Jewish World Records, Former Gates of Heaven Synagogue is connected to the record “Oldest Building in Wisconsin Originally Built as a Synagogue,” based on the stored achievement of Built in 1863.

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Records held by Former Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Gates of Heaven Synagogue in Madison, Wisconsin

JWR VerifiedFounding Record

Jewish Heritage · SynagoguesFirst

First Synagogue Built in Wisconsin

Record holder

Former Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Record value

Built in 1863

The oldest building in Wisconsin originally built as a synagogue is the former Shaare Shomaim, or Gates of Heaven, in Madison. The structure was "Built in 1863", establishing the record. Its status as the first purpose-built synagogue in the state is confirmed by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Documentation from its National Register of Historic Places nomination independently confirms its design and construction as a synagogue, and notes its dedication on 5 September 1863. A state-level historical search found no earlier qualifying purpose-built synagogue in Wisconsin, with other candidates postdating the 1863 building.

Country: United States
Achievement location: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Achievement date: 1863

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