Brisbane Synagogue - Brisbane - QLD - Australia - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Brisbane Hebrew Congregation
Messrs. G. Myers, Coleman Davis, and J. M.
Myers were active workers in collecting funds for
building the new synagogue, and a wise desire
was evinced to secure a site in the higher part of
the city. Mr. J. M. Myers desired to secure a
piece of land where the Albert Hall now stands,
but was unsuccessful. At the time of the
the proposed movement from the old Masonic Hall,
the late Mr. B. R. Lewin purchased the present
site in Margaret-street, and offered it to the
congregation for Synagogue purposes at the
price he had paid for it — namely, £800. This
offer was accepted. Mr. Lewin himself collected
no less a sum than £1,200 towards the Building
Fund. This, added to the money previously in
hand, allowed of the Synagogue being built, and
opened quite free of debt, a position it happily
occupies to-day. On the 7th July, 1885, the
foundation-stone of the present Synagogue was
laid by the Rev. A. P. Phillips, then President
of the Congregation. Mr. Arthur Morry was the
architect for the building, and Mr. A. Midson the
builder. The total cost of the land and building
amounted to about £5,500. At the foundation
ceremony there were present, besides Mr. L.
Phillips (President), Messrs. Lewis Benjamin
(Vice-President), B. Sineaur (Treasnrer), L. N.
Benjamin (Warden), E. L. Nathan (Hon.
Sec), J. Samuel (Educational Superintendent),
S. Horowitz, B. R. Lewin, P. Milligan, S. M.
Collins, and H. D. Dinte, and others, besides
visitors from Sydney and Toowoomba. Mr.
Lewis Phillips (President) presented the Rev,
A. P. Phillips with a silver trowel, the latter
bearing the inscription : ' Presented to the Rev.
A. P. Phillips on the occasion of his laying the
foundation-stone of the Brisbane Synagogue,
on 7th July 1885, the 24th day of Tamuz, Anno
Mundi, 5645.' Under the stone was placed a
bottle containing copies of the 'Courier' and
other newspapers of that date, coins of the
realm, a document bearing the names of members
of the Synagogue and Building Committee.
The Synagogue was consecrated on the 18th
July, 1886, when the distinguished visitors
present included the late Sir Chas. Lilley (then
Chief Justice of Queensland), the Hon. W. D.
Power, Mr. S. Horowitz (then a member of the
Legislative Assembly), and many prominent
business men and citizens. The members of the
first Board of Management, who were also
present, were Messrs. B. Sinauer (President),
S. M, Collins (Vice-President), L. N. Benjamin
(Treasurer), L. Flegeltaub (Educational Sec.),
J. Samuels (Hon. Secretary). The ceremony
throughout was reported in the 'Courier' of the
following day as having been the most imposing
and interesting. The richness of the listings and
the solemn character of the proceedings rendered
them of a most memorable character to- all who
witnessed or took part in them. 'Mr. I. M.
Myers, after holding up the Scroll of the Law to
the four corners of the earth, said, ' This is the
law given by Moses to the children of Israel on
Mount Sinai,' after which the sacred writings
were placed in the Ark. The Rev. A. P. Phillips
preached an opening service from the first book
of Kings viii. 27, 'But will God indeed will dwell
on the earth ?' etc. A prayer was then read
dedicating the building to the Almighty. A
subsequent collection realised £190. Mr. J. M,
Myers was presented by the Committee with a
handsome morocco portfolio, containing a
miniature representation of a marble tablet,
elected on the inner wall of the Synagogue in
recognition of his valuable services to the
Congregation. Mention must be made of the
following handsome articles which have been
presented to the Synagogue from time to time : —
A large Scroll of the Law, with silver gilt bells,
massive breast-plate, and pointer, richly gold
embroidered purple.velvet covering, by Mr. Henry
D. Benjamin, of London. A Scroll of the Law,
by Mr. Laurence Levy, of London, in memory of
his son, who died in Brisbane. Scroll of the
Continued on Page 15
Scroll to previous page

Lavr, by MesBrs. H. E. and M. Moses, late of
Monckwell-st., London. Silver pointer, diamond
studded, by the late Mr. H. 0. Dinte, of
Brisbane. A pair of silver gilt bells and
pointer, by Mrs. Mitchell, in memory of her
sister, the late Mra, Leo. Benjamin, of Brisbane.
Massive si'ver communion cup, in morocco case,
by Master Louis Lewin. Large e,p. Kiddish
cup, highly chased, by the late Joseph Myers.
White satin, with gold bullion fringe, covering
for the reading desk and lectern, by Mr Sydney
M: Collins. Richly gold embroidered ruby satii
curtain for the Ark, and cover for the reading
desk, by Messrs, B, E. Lewin, J. M. Myers, and
Saml. Cohen, of Sydney. White satin curtain
for the Ark and reading desk, by the late Messrs,
David and Solomon Benjamin, London, Two
richly. worked and gold embroidered satin mantles,
with . cover, for the Scrolls of the Law, by Mrs.
A, M. Hertzberg, in memory of her little son,
Arthur. Framed and glazed, in morocco case,
'-* prayer for the .Royal family, by Mrs. A.
Benjamin, Alice-street. A large illustrated Bible
for the lectern, by Mr. Abraham Hertzberg.
Brass lectern, by the late Mr. S. Hoffnung,
London. One pair silver filigree bells for scrolls
and one silver spice-box, by the late Mr. L ,
Plegeltaub. . ?
The building is arranged on a plan similar to i
that, of most modern synagogues. The main J
entrance faces Margaret -street, and consists of a
spacious' portico, enclosed with a pair of
wrought-iron sliding gates of special design,
under a deeply-recessed and modeled arch with
detacned shafts and foliated caps. Prom the
portico, there are inner lobbies leading right and
left into the body of the Synagogue, and to
the staircase, which forms the approach to the
ladies' galleries. Tbe interior is divided into
?have and side aisles by octagonal columns with
moulded caps and bases and carrying arches o£
large span on either side. The ark is placed in
an arched recess at the. end, lighted by a large
rose window immediately above. The ark and
the 'almemniar' is constructed of polished
cedar, and is approacbed by a broad light of
polished cedar and marble steps. The dimensions
of, the buildings are : 80ft. by 47ffc., and the
?walls are 33ft. high.' There is accommodation
for 260 persons on the floor of the building and
140 in the galleries, making a total of 400.
Externally the 'building, is certainly handsome,
the entrance being flanked by two turrets rising
70ft. from ground line. The architecture is in the
Byzantine style, the material being brick with
concrete foundations, and the elevations
cemented. Over the main entrance is a large
geometrical window 10ft. in diameter, framed in
New Zealand stone iuid filled in with stained
glass. Of late years the opinion has gained
ground that a mista'ko was made in selecting a
site where- the level is somewhat low and the
surroundings unsuitable. Placed on an eminence,
such as Wickham-terrace, for instance, the i
Synagogue would have become widely known and i
admired instead of being hidden away as at
present.
Mr. Jonas M. Myers, it will be seen, has
been a sound bulwark to the Hebrew community
of Brisbane, arid though not a qualified Rabbi, |
his work for them has covered forty years.
Mr. Myers was born in London in 1828, and
was one of the first scholars at the City of
London School, an exclusive institution in
those days. After leaving school Mi1. Myers
went to the service of a merchant at Mogador,
in Morocco. The, trade was principally with !
the Mtihomttan and Moorish population, who j
purchased tea, sugar, and iron and steel
implements, and sold ostrich feathsrs, native
gums, sweet and bitter almonds, etc., to the
firm. Young Mr. Myers learned Arobic at
this time, and he was resideut at Mogador in
1844, when that place was bombarded by the
Prance under Pcince de Joinville. H.M.S.
' Warspifc ' took the British population to

Gibraltar, wbt-nre they wre sent to London.
Mr. Myers ul-xI engagtd in business in London,
on his own -account for a while, and in 1849
he proceeded to Adelaide, South Australia.
He there engaged in the drapery trade until
1865. A Jewish community was formed
duri'.ig the earl er years of his residence in
Adtlaide, and Ml1. Myers filled the office of
Synagogue Reader until 1852, when the gold
rush took place to Bendigo, and Adelaide was
almost desertpd. Mr. Myers went to Melbourne
by sailing ship, and set up in business in
Flinders-street for a while. An overland
service and gold escort was organised from
Melbourne to Adelaide by the then Commissioner
of Police (Tolmer), and South Australians
began to send their spoil home. Business in
Adelaide consequently revived, and Mr. Myers
returned. He has still many interesting
recollections of old Adelaide and its early
citizens. Mr. Myers and Mr. 0. Goode were
fellow-travellers to England on one occasion
by the steamer -( Northam,'- and they were
shipwrecked near the island of Perim. In
Adelaide Mr. Myers established the first I
Sabbath school, in connection with a synagogue
in Australia. He conducted this school until
he came to Brisbane, when his Adelaide friends
presented him with an inscribed gold watch,
which he still wears.

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 06/30/1905 Publication: The Hebrew Standard of Australasia Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: international News Category: Arts/Culture

Visit Instructions:
Give the date of your visit at the news location along with a description of what you learned or experienced.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   08/14/2023 endeavour3 visited it 12/17/2017 CADS11 visited it

View all visits/logs