Free Synagogue of Flushing
41-60 Kissena Blvd., Flushing
The Free Synagogue of Flushing, which is the oldest liberal Reform synagogue in Queens, has had its doors open to the community for more than 100 years. The synagogue is listed on both the New York State Register and National Register of Historic Places.
The synagogue was founded by the Hebrew Women’s Aid Society in 1917. In keeping with the philosophy of the first Free Synagogue in Manhattan, the institute’s principles include freedom of the pulpit, freedom in religious philosophy, freedom in terms of seating, and equality of men and women in participation and leadership.
For years, the synagogue has been a bastion of liberal thought and activism. Although the demographics of Flushing have changed since 1917, the synagogue continues to welcome people of all ethnicities, genders and belief systems.
The main building of the Free Synagogue of Flushing is a neoclassical structure that was designed by Maurice Courland. It features a massive portico that is supported by Ionic pillars and an enormous dome adorned with Tiffany-style stained-glass windows that were crafted in the former Czechoslovakia.
