9. Some of the Pillars in the Synagogue Are Not Like the Others
Most of the pillars in the synagogue are made of cast-iron, a material that had just recently been introduced for religious architecture. Two of the columns on each side of the sanctuary look identical to the rest, but are just made of wood. That’s because they are purely visual — added to make the sanctuary appear longer but have no structural purpose.
In contrast, the cast-iron pillars go all the way down to the bedrock and support the height of the interior structure.
