Shaare Shalom Synagogue, Reform Jewish synagogue in Kingston, Jamaica
Shaare Shalom Synagogue, formally Kahal Kadosh Sha'are Shalom, is a Reform Jewish congregation on Duke Street in Kingston. The present building was rebuilt in 1912 by the Henriques Brothers after an earthquake destroyed the 1885 original. Its sanctuary seats more than 600 people and holds a 52-stop pipe organ; services are read in Hebrew and English.
The building was constructed in 1912 after an earthquake destroyed the original structure from 1885. In 1921, the congregation united Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities under one roof.
The congregation is Reform and prays in both Hebrew and English. Its museum of Jamaican Jewish history, next to the synagogue, holds Judaica collected from across the island and is counted among the Caribbean's finest historical collections. In 2012 the sanctuary hosted a Nyabinghi concert during the Kingston On The Edge urban arts festival.
The building is located on Duke Street and is accessible by entering through an office at the back of the structure. A small donation is typically expected when visitors wish to view the interior.
The sand on the sanctuary floor follows the Sephardi custom, recalling Jews who covered their floors with sand to muffle the sound of prayers during the Spanish Inquisition. The sanctuary also holds a 52-stop pipe organ, and in 2012 it hosted a Nyabinghi concert during the Kingston On The Edge urban arts festival.
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