Garnethill Synagogue, Glasgow

The first purpose built synagogue in Scotland. Designed by architect John McLeod, the first service took place in here in 1879. By the 1870s, there were over 700 Jews in the local area, who raised £14,000 to fund the building.

A beautiful interior, a mix of Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic. The Arc which faces Jerusalem in the east wall, contains the five Torah scrolls, the five books of Moses. These are handwritten on parchment, it can take up to two years to write one scroll. I was shown a metal marker, a Yad Torah with a hand and pointing finger at the top, used to mark a place on a scroll.

Above the pulpit, a red glass containing a candle, the light. The candle burns for 8 days at a time. There has been a constant light here since it opened, apart from a short time during the war, when the special candles couldn't be sourced. I admired beautiful stained glass too, many are memorial windows in the sanctuary areas, others on the stairway to the gallery.

The congregation here is Orthodox, so the women would usually sit upstairs and take no part in the service. However, due to recent changes in fire regulations, the women now sit downstairs on one side, the men on the other.

A few years ago, I did sit upstairs with the ladies. I attended a special service to hear the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, speak. A memorable day.