F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” But the rebirth of the historic Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue near Druid Hill Park proves that “The Great Gatsby” author (and one-time Bolton Hill resident) may have gotten it wrong.
On Tuesday, June 4, Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh — which bills itself as an “innovative new center for Jewish life and learning, as well as for greater Baltimore City community involvement” — will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Among those expected in attendance will be elected officials, Third Space leadership and other stakeholders.
Known by generations of Jews as “the Shul in the Park,” Shaarei Tfiloh is located at 2001 Liberty Heights Avenue, across from the Maryland Zoo.
The synagogue — which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 — operated as an Orthodox congregation from 1921 until last September. The building, with its iconic turquoise dome and arched stained-glass windows, appeared in Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson’s 1999 film, “Liberty Heights.”
According to the book “Synagogues, Temples and Congregations of Maryland: 1830-1990” (Jewish Historical Society of Maryland) by Earl Pruce, Shaarei Tfiloh’s rock-faced limestone edifice at the corner of Liberty Heights and Auchenteroloy Terrace was dedicated on Sept. 25, 1921. The congregation itself was founded the previous year and held services nearby at a private residence at nearby 2216 Bryant Ave.
From the 1920s through the 1950s, Shaarei Tfiloh was a popular in-town synagogue for generations of Jews, particularly those living in the Park Circle community. The synagogue’s first spiritual leader was Rabbi Dr. Nathan Drazin, a highly respected Jewish scholar who served the congregation from 1933 to 1964.
Funded by the Cordish and Perlow families, Third Space will serve as a “place of learning and community informed by Jewish traditions,” read a press statement from the nonprofit.
“It will serve as a nonsectarian gathering place for intellectually curious Baltimoreans to explore Jewish wisdom and its deep traditions of communal learning and engagement in a non-dogmatic, inclusive, intellectually open, and inviting space. It will serve as a complementary and additive forum for existing Jewish and non-Jewish institutions in Baltimore City. A menu of unique classes, lectures and speakers, performances, holiday celebrations, and more will be announced later this summer.”
For its launch event, Third Space will hold a “Taste of Third Space” day of learning and open house for the broader community on Sunday, June 9, from noon to 5 p.m. This event will include tours of the recently remodeled Shaarei Tfiloh building, along with opportunities to meet Third Space staff and learn more about the vision of the project.
“My dream is that Third Space will be good for Jewish connection and greater Baltimore; a place where people know each other, care for each other and always leave learning something they didn’t know before they walked through the door,” said Rabbi Jessy Dressin, who serves as the nonprofit’s executive director.
For information, visit thirdspacest.org or call 410-581-5022.
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