Introduction 

Beth Shalom Reform Synagogue has the opportunity construct a new synagogue building in Central Cambridge. This exciting, environmentally friendly project will take this thirty year old congregation to a new level, providing regular Shabbat and Festival Reform Services to Cambridge and its environs. Provision will also be made for a variety of social, artistic, cultural, musical, intellectual, pastoral, and educational opportunities for members, the Cambridge Jewish Residents Association, local residents and occasional visitors to the Cambridge area.

"When God instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle, Moses approached Bazalel to serve as chief architect. Bezalel asked, "What is the purpose of the Tabernacle?" Moses answered, "That God may allow His presence to dwell within it and thereby teach Torah to all of Israel" Sh'mot Rabbah 50:2

Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is recognised as one of the leading universities in the world, and probably the UK's foremost academic institute. A significant proportion of the academics - teachers, researchers and students - in both Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University are Jewish. Beth Shalom welcomes all those associated with the universities to our services and events while they are studying in Cambridge for a few years, and having an attractive progressive Jewish facility near the centre of Cambridge will enable us to serve this part of our community more effectively.

With the region being one of the fastest growing in the UK from both a population and economic perspective, it is anticipated that the establishment of the Synagogue building close to the centre of Cambridge will lead to a further steady increase in our membership, with the potential to bring another 100 to 150 adults and their children into the community over the next decade.

Beth Shalom

Beth Shalom was founded in 1981 and is now the largest Jewish congregation in East Anglia, with a very active membership of over 250 adults and a large and growing cheder and youth programme. The Synagogue has a wide mixture of members, which includes young families, single people of all ages, resident and visiting academics and students, drawn both from the city and a wide surrounding area.

Since its inception, Beth Shalom has had a nomadic existence, holding services and events in rented and borrowed accommodation. The new building will allow the congregation to have its regular activities in one place, facilitate our famous Beth Shalom welcome to visitors and help us develop and enhance our activities including:

• regular Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night) services
• regular Shabbat services
• Bnei Mitzvot and weddings
• Festival services including High Holydays
• A mother & toddler group
• A youth centre

The Campaign

The Synagogue has now purchased a plot of land in Auckland Road in Central Cambridge and has received planning permission for a synagogue building that provides Beth Shalom with all of the facilities and access required for a successful community building and constructed to a design that provides appropriate 'Sacred Space'.

The Synagogue, through its fundraising activities, has already received many generous donations and pledges for donations. Our estimate for the construction cost of the new building, prepared with the assistance of the architect, and including the clearing and preparation of the site, lies around £1.3 million, with further sums required to furnish and beautify it. The projected total cost including fees is £1.9mn.

"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" Isaiah 84:5

Design & Concepts

The Synagogue Council, working with an excellent local architect, has agreed a building design that meets the varying needs of the community and provides for the many different aspects of synagogue life, including ritual services, supporting the community's children, the needs of people with disabilities, converts, other community work, etc.

In addition to the basic design and construction of a new functional and sustainable building, a synagogue is a sacred space and will require 'beautification' to help create an appropriate spiritual environment for religious services. This will require additional investment for items such as stained glass windows, the bimah, ark, lighting, seating, book shelves, library, and possible commemorative sections for yahrzeits, member's special contributions, major donors, etc. Therefore, the building also offers many sponsorship opportunities, from chairs to rooms.

"By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches." Proverbs 24:3-4

The two story building has been designed to offer flexible space that can be adapted to the needs of the community for a wide variety of activities.

Where we are now

Having received planning permission and completed the purchase of the land, we have demolished the existing building and installed all services. Our quantity surveyor has reported based on our architects's plans and we are shortly to go out to builders to tender for construction.

With pledges and donations totalling over £1.3m from the community, friends and charitable trusts we are continuing and intensifying our fundraising efforts.

How you can help

Beth Shalom is engaged in a programme of events for its members and friends to raise money.  If you have any fund raising ideas or wish to volunteer, please contact us via the email address below.

We are also asking for donations, large or small, and have developed a programme of sponsorship opportunities for those who have the means and may wish to make a donation for commemorative or other personal reasons.

For more information, please contact Nick Toff, Chair of the building committees at:
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Donations can be made by visiting our JustGiving site, by cheque to our administrators or by bank transfer (details available via  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

If you would like to pledge a regular or one-off contribution, please download a Pledge Form.

The Synagogue has an American Fund for Charities account enabling tax efficient donation from US residents.

Please click on the links below to view the plans:

Ground floor cutaway

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor cutaway

First Floor Plan - seating option A

First Floor Plan - seating option B

First Floor Plan - seating option C

Elevations