Dublin to Lose Historic Adelaide Rd Shul

Dublin's Adelaide Road Synagogue has closed after 107 years. A meeting of its 200 member congregation in early February agreed to shut down the synagogue and merge with the Terenure on Dublin's South Side. The synagogue was consecrated on December 4, 1892 by the Chief Rabbi of Britain and Ireland, Rabbi Hermann Adler.is Closure was regarded as the only solution to the problem of an aging and declining Jewish community, which now numbers around 1,200 from a high of over 5,000 in the early 1950s. Plans call for the rebuilding of the Terenure, along with a new community centre and restaurant.

The Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Gavin Broder, said: "The closure of any institution brings with it emotional upset, none more so than a shul to which people have had an attachment for many years. Progress, however, demands that communities continue to evaluate their situation and do what is necessary to move forward. I believe that the merger between Adelaide Road and Terenure will generate renewed enthusiasm in the community, and will create major opportunities for the future with better facilities."