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Our Home

In January of 2008, after more than thirty years as a community without our own building, Congregation Darchei Noam moved into its current home at 864 Sheppard Avenue West. A fully accessible facility featuring a variety of multi-purpose spaces, the building is not simply aesthetically inspiring and beautiful, but practical as well. Designed with our growing congregation in mind and using cutting edge eco-friendly technologies and materials, 864 Sheppard Avenue West combines the traditional and the contemporary to create a unique and inviting space for its community.

Design

Designed by Quadrangle Architects, the firm of an architect member of the Congregation after extensive consultation with members of the community, Congregation Darchei Noam’s building was designed to embody our Reconstructionist principles, including those of Bal Tashchit (do not waste) and Tikkun Olam (heal the world). An architecturally modern building, it interprets the forms of a traditional synagogue, using modern, sustainable materials, the latest in energy conservation, audio visual, and security technology inside, and the timeless look of Jerusalem stone from Israel on the outside.

The airy sanctuary on the upper level is filled with natural light from its wall of windows and skylights above the bimah and features beautiful ritual art, including a colourful Aron Kodesh and a beautiful blown-glass ner tamid. The upper level is also home to the synagogue office, a babysitting room with toddler-friendly washroom facilities, and the Twelve Tribes Chapel, a program space with a built-in Aron Kodesh that is used for meetings, children’s programs, adult learning programs and services alike.

On the middle level is the social hall, a space elegant enough for evening affairs and flexible enough to support a wide range of events, including community Kiddush, special lectures, and Israeli dancing. With a stage at one end and an Aron Kodesh at the other, this multi-purpose space plays host to a variety of activities throughout the year. Featuring a full kitchen, it is an ideal space to host community and private simchahs.

The lower level is home to a multi-purpose room that can be divided into three classrooms, a multi-media computer lab for our Hebrew School, a teen lounge, the Yavne Library, and a full kitchen.

The entrance to the synagogue highlights those in the Darchei Noam community who made the construction of this home possible with a one-of-a-kind illuminated Dedication Wall and egalitarian Donor Wall.

Environmentally-friendly features of the building include:

  • Solar panels on the south-facing portion of the rooftop;
  • Energy-efficient fluorescent light fixtures with multi-zone control to illuminate only areas that are in use;
  • High efficiency, gas-fired, CFC-free rooftop heating and cooling units that use a refrigerant which is not harmful to the ozone layer and a zoned system that allows for heating and cooling to be applied to only areas of the building in use;
  • A reflective “white roof” which reduces heat gain and therefore lessens the need for air conditioning;
  • Low VOC emitting materials and solvent-free paints;
  • Motion-detection activated sinks and low-flush toilets and urinals;
  • Instant hot water systems which reduce energy costs for intermittently used areas;
  • 100% recyclable carpet comprised of reclaimed post-consumer and post-industrial materials, and flooring made from sustainable Jatoba wood;
  • New windows and new sealed units on original stained glass windows to ensure energy efficiency;

We welcome you to our home! For a tour of the facilities, or to inquire about rentals for your special occasion, please contact the synagogue office.

Tue, 19 March 2024 9 Adar II 5784