The migration of Jews from the North End to Roxbury marks the beginning of the suburban synagogue. A large imposing brick structure with two domed towers, this synagogue became the focus of community life in the new neighborhood. Its projecting, double-entrance stairway, now painted gray, strikes a discordant note, at odds with the stone quoins and linen trim of arches and pediment. Between the towers, a row of five entrance arches beneath a central arched stained glass window allies the structure to contemporary Romanesque revivals of this religious-building type.

The structure is most notable for incorporating spaces fit for community activity into its design—for banquets, meetings, classrooms, and library. Innovation in religious observance here, including the founding of a junior congregation, spawned the organization of Young Israel of Greater Boston.