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Green Synagogue |
| Judaism & The Environment |
| Our Building |
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| JRC Awarded Platinum-Level LEED Certification! |
| Awards and Recognition |
| Virtual Tour: Exterior |
| Virtual Tour: First Floor |
| Virtual Tour: Second Floor |
| Virtual Tour: Third Floor |
| Virtual Tour: Mechanical Systems |
| Project Overview |
| How did we do it? A History... |
| Schedule a Tour |
| Ask Us |
| Resources |
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Green Synagogue | Our Building
Virtual Tour: First Floor
First Floor
 | | Entry floor mat traps grit and grime | | |
The Floor
- Entry Foyer Floor Mat: Designed for maximum collection of dirt at door to help with maintenance and indoor air quality. Dirt falls through a grate to a pan which can be regularly swept clean.
- Polished Concrete Floors: You are walking on polished concrete meant to look like terrazzo. Our floors are much cheaper than real stone or commercial flooring products, eliminate the need for any adhesives that would be used to glue them in place, and are easy to clean with "green" cleaners. They are more durable than carpeting in high traffic areas. Concrete floors contain recycled fly ash from steel mills.
 | | Polished concrete floor and office carpeting | | |
Carpeting: Carpeting can be found only in the offices on the first and second floors. The carpet is made with non-VOC, non-formaldehyde fibers that include both recycled content and rapidly renewable corn content.
 | | "Gift Shop" display case | | |
Outside the Administrative Offices
- “Gift Shop” – a glass-front display area for sale of JRC logo Green Goods, products that are consistent with our Tikkun Olam mission like fair trade coffee, and Judaica.
GREEN PRACTICES: In the Office
- Office printing will strive to be double-sided on 100% recycled paper with the highest Post Consumer Waste (PCW) content feasible and chlorine process free.
- Eliminate disposable water bottle use, and encourage members to bring reusable bottles. We expect to sell reusable bottles with the JRC logo in the Gift Shop.
- Water Fountains: Water is drawn from the tap, without using extra energy for cooling.
 | | Office cabinet made from sunflower seed husks ("Dakota Burl") | | |
Cabinets and Shelving: Made with Environ-Biocomposites’ Dakota Burl Cabinetry, a unique composite product manufactured from a rapidly renewable agricultural fiber product including waste sunflower husks and emitting no VOCs.
 | | Small Sanctuary, looking east (photo: Steve Hall @ Hedrich Blessing) | | |
 | | Small Sanctuary | | |
Small Sanctuary
- This intimate sanctuary, located on the first floor, can seat 60 people.
- The east wall is largely windowed, looking out on a rock garden and vine-covered tall, protective gabion wall.
- The Ark in the Small Sanctuary is made of wood panels from local fallen trees. Above it hangs one of our two solar-powered Eternal Lights (Ner Tamid).
- It is finished in reclaimed cypress slats, overhead and on the walls, giving the space a tent-like feel, calling to mind the scriptural reference, "How goodly are thy tents, oh Jacob."
 | | Reclaimed cypress wall and bookcase, in Small Sanctuary | | |
Early Childhood Center
- Program: A licensed, accredited 5-day morning preschool program for 3-5 year olds. We have three classrooms, each with a capacity for 20 children, and a large gross motor play area for exercise.
 | | Window at child-friendly height in Early Childhood Center | | |
Windows: These are set at heights that provide views at various levels for people of all heights (especially our pre-schoolers). They can be opened during those times of year when we don’t need artificial heating or cooling.- Outdoor Playground: Playground mulch contains recycled rubber. Planned design and development is for an organic, natural playground providing optimal environment for exploration, learning and play.
- Interactive Mural in the Gross Motor Area: A hands-on delight for our pre-schoolers. A must-see when you take a tour. Designed by artist and JRC member Rebecca Hamlin.
 | | Interactive mural in Early Childhood Center | | |
Rebecca describes her creative process in designing the mural, and its construction, as follows:
"A lot of what I was doing was with the idea of creating an antidote to those long gray winters indoors, hence, the outdoor-kinds of color, the botanical elements, and so on. I used a number of antique architectural elements to balance the qualities of being in such a modern building with a tactile memory of older buildings. I tried to create a balance between warm and cool colors, masculine and feminine qualities, indoor/outdoor....
"It was built off-site by Redbox Workshop, out of mostly composite-wood MDF (medium-density fiberboard), installed, and then painted."
 | | Grand Staircase, viewed from first floor | | |
Grand Staircase
- A dramatic stairway connects our three floors. The stairway is visible through the window curtain facade of the south side of the building.
GREEN PRACTICES: Accessibility  | | Two elevators assure accessibility to upper floors | | |
- While we encourage use of the stairway and seek to minimize reliance on electric power, we value accessibility. To that end, we have two elevators in the center core of the building. Two elevators means that even if one were out of commission, no one would be left without access to a synagogue event.
Previous | Next
Awards and Recognition
JRC Awarded Platinum-Level LEED Certification!
Virtual Tour: Exterior
Virtual Tour: Second Floor
Virtual Tour: Third Floor
Virtual Tour: Mechanical Systems
Project Overview
How did we do it? A History...
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