For nearly 60 years, Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) has held services in one of the oldest temples in the Toledo area. The facility in the Old Orchard neighborhood was originally built in 1955, and its energy deficient operational costs were bankrupting the congregation. The spaces in the temple did not accommodate the various programming needs, as each room served only one function. In 2004, CBI sold their property to the University of Toledo Foundation and commissioned Abraham Musher-Eizenman, a CBI member, to design the new temple.

With Hobbs+Black as Architect of Record, Musher-Eizenman designed a smaller, more efficient synagogue that used flexible space for programming. The focus of the design was maximizing the use of space for the various needs of the congregation. The 19,700 square foot temple includes a new sanctuary, classrooms, boardroom and office space, a chapel, and a multi-purpose social hall complete with kosher kitchen.

The sanctuary is circular, and the vaulted ceiling is peaked with a skylight at the center. Carved stone tile and wood acoustic panels complement the six stained glass windows. The sanctuary seats 200, and when opened to the social hall, it can accommodate up to 600 people on High Holy Days. This sanctuary is also home to the Ark, containing 13 Torah scrolls, decorated with bronze doors. A secondary chapel room seats 50 and features mosaic tile ark doors and 4 x 6 replicas of the Ten Commandments.

One of the most important features of the new temple for Congregation B’nai Israel is the multi-purpose room. It is a long, open room primarily used for a social hall, but can be divided by three to accommodate other functions, such as classroom space. The social hall and sanctuary share a hearing loop system, which allows people with hearing disabilities to use their own hearing aid as an amplification system. The secondary chapel also has this feature.

A secondary multi-purpose room is also used as a library, lounge and boardroom, which has a large screen and projector for a variety of teen programs and viewing films.

Another key feature is the new kosher kitchen. The site of the new temple is located within a Jewish community campus which includes the local United Jewish Council, a YMCA, and another synagogue and a Hebrew school. CBI has the only kosher kitchen on the site, and is able to rent out the space to the other groups. The kitchen is divided into two rooms, with separate pots, pans and sinks for meat and dairy. This is extremely convenient for those who share the campus, and serves as a revenue generator for CBI.

Another innovation featured in the new structure is a new LCD monitor set in stone outside the sanctuary. This is used for yahrzeit, a Jewish tradition of remembering the anniversary of a person’s death. In the new temple, the names of the deceased are displayed on the screen during their anniversary week; names are permanently displayed on brass plaques inside the sanctuary.

As Architect of Record, Hobbs+Black provided programming and interior design as well as Construction Documentation and Administration. The team was able to accommodate the scheduling needs of CBI. This included a ceremony during construction in which soil from beneath the previous temple was distributed under the Sanctuary Ark of the new temple.