In honor of Passover—which continues this week, bringing pain to leavening-lovers who must stick to matzo—we present Curbed photographer Laura Kicey's gallery of Rodeph Shalom, which is without question the city's most beautiful Jewish temple, and one of the city's most beautiful buildings, period. In 2005, the sanctuary—which is based on Florence, Italy's Great Synagogue—was renovated for $5.5 million. Now there's another change in the works: a 27,000 square foot addition designed by Kieren Timberlake that will afford the extra space needed for the congregation's growing 1,000-plus members. The exterior is beautiful (and it seems some heavenly presence was involved with the clouds the day Laura was shooting), but the interior is exquisite too. On the following page, you'll see the renderings for the new wing, whose construction will break ground in September.
· Expanding a Reform Tradition [Jewish Exponent]