Ohel Yaacob Congregation

Located in the beach-front resort of Deal, NJ, Ohel Yaacob was founded in 1980 by the Syrian Jewish community. Thriving and growing over the years, the congregation needed additional larger and improved spaces. We were retained to design a 33,000 sf addition that includes a chapel, banquet hall, library, classrooms, teen lounge, offices, catering kitchen and other requisite facilities. In deference to its symbolic importance to the community, the massing of the original sanctuary was preserved. At the same time, however, we re-cladded the exterior and completely redesigned the interior. While the plan of the complex is formal and axial, the interior is dynamic, open, and inviting. Its beautiful ocean views evoke a sense of relaxation and celebration in synchrony with a summer resort and a welcome contrast to the urban synagogues the congregants regularly attend. Ohel Yaacob is a building of prayer, study, and celebration, preserving the rich and vibrant Sephardic tradition as it continues to grow in the 21st Century.