Downtown in Victoria in Capital Region, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

Congregation Emanu-El

Photographed by Andrew Lester, October 14, 2013

1. Congregation Emanu-El Marker

Inscription. The Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue was built in 1863, just five years after the arrival if the first members of Victoria's Jewish community during the Fraser River gold rush period. Its opening was widely celebrated in Victoria for, despite their small numbers, members of the congregation played leading roles in the social, economic and political life of both the town and the colony. The oldest surviving synagogue in Canada, the building is a testament to the devotion and resourcefulness of its founders, as well as a rare example of the 19th century Romanesque style synagogue architecture in Canada.

Cette synagogue fut construite en 1863, cinq ans seulement après l'arrivée des premiers membres de la communauté juive de Victoria avec la ruée vers l'or du Fraser. Elle fut inaugurée avec éclat à Victoria, car les membres de la congregation, malgré leur nombre restreint, jouaient un rôle de premier plan dans les activités sociales, économiques et politiques de la ville et de la province. Maintenant la plus ancienne au Canada, la synagogue témoigne de la ferveur et de l'esprit d'initiative de ses fondateurs et elle est une

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

des rares illustrations de l'architecture romane des synagogues canadiennes du XIXe siecle.

Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board, and the Synagogues series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.

Location. 48° 25.655′ N, 123° 21.686′ W. Marker is in Victoria, British Columbia, in Capital Region. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of Blanshard Street and Pandora Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Blanshard Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1461 Blanshard Street, Victoria BC V8W 2J3, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 713 Johnson (about 210 meters away,

Paid Advertisement

measured in a direct line); St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); Victoria City Hall (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Tiger Company Fire Hall (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Victoria Fire Department Headquarters (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Japanese Internment (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Wesleyan Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); McPherson Playhouse (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Victoria.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2013, by Andrew Lester of Victoria, BC, Canada. This page has been viewed 601 times since then and 14 times this year. Last updated on April 7, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. Photo 1. submitted on December 22, 2013, by Andrew Lester of Victoria, BC, Canada. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.