Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh

A hub for meaningful engagement and community, grounded in Jewish culture, wisdom, and learning

We are about relationships and learning, and nurturing the two together.

Third Space is a place for meaningful community building, both local and Jewish. We intend it to be a container for creativity, collaboration, exploration, and discovery. We are committed to the vision of being shaarei – gateways in Hebrew – a hub for learning, connecting, and growing together. Whether it be in lectures, classes, workshops, musical concerts and performances, or other hands-on experiences, we will embrace curiosity, open-mindedness, and deep care. We hope those who come to Third Space will share these values and help us build something sacred together.

Third Space welcomes and celebrates the full tapestry of Jewish identities. It values diversity of thought, perspectives and backgrounds. It is a place we want to make sure each person who joins us will feel welcomed, seen, and accepted.

What is a “Third Space”?

The concept of “Third Space” or “Third Place” was developed by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in the early 1990s.

The idea is built on the notion that a healthy society depends on three places where people build relationships: one’s private space (home), one’s place of contribution (work, school, trade, etc.), and a “third place” where people gather who share common communities or values. In this third space, people cultivate relationships based on these shared foundations. According to Oldenburg, a good third space is accessible, inviting, comfortable, playful, and open. It is a place for public wellbeing.

We want Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh to be such a place, one where our local community can find and explore connections to ideas and people, doing so rooted in Jewish wisdom and ancestral knowledge. We are committed to meaningful engagement and non-dogmatic understanding of this rich tradition of thinking and debate, and its relevance to our current time, place, and historical moment.

History of Shaarei Tfiloh

Shaarei Tfiloh is located across from Druid Hill Park at the intersection of Liberty Heights Avenue and Auchentoroly Terrace.

The story of Jewish Baltimore and the evolution of the city are integrally bound up with Shaarei Tfiloh, as its location has served as a crossroads for the Jewish community and greater Baltimore since the synagogue’s founding a century ago. The building was constructed between 1921 – 1927 and from its inception, Shaarei Tfiloh embraced diverse traditions and a commitment to learning in community. The synagogue was founded by Jews primarily of Eastern European descent, yet many of these families practiced Judaism according to Spanish (Sephardic) traditions. The building, designed by Stanislaus Russell, integrated these two traditions into a unique and inspiring architectural landmark that fuses distinctive characteristics of Sephardic influence with that of early twentieth-century American synagogue design. The building’s prominent dome and stunning stained glass have been Baltimore landmarks since the synagogue’s opening, and it has been on the National Register of Historic Places for over two decades.

From its founding, Shaarei Tfiloh has had an explicit mission to serve as a gathering place specifically for communal learning. For its first century, Shaarei Tfiloh embraced these principles primarily as a traditional Orthodox synagogue. In August, 2023, the building transitioned to its next chapter, relaunching as Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh. Third Space adds a new layer to the building’s legacy and is dedicated to its historic principles, but reimagines the space as a new, non-denominational, inclusive locale for learning, life, and community involvement.

The Cordish family has been instrumental in the life of Shaarei Tfiloh since its inception. Louis Cordish served as the synagogue’s first president, and Cordish family members have maintained active leadership roles in the space for five generations. Third Space is deeply grateful to the Cordish family’s continued commitment to Shaarei Tfiloh’s mission and for the family’s vision and investment to make it a vital new center for Jewish learning and life. Their support, along with that of Howard Perlow and his family, have been central in allowing Third Space to build on Shaarei Tfiloh’s legacy while refashioning it as a landmark new institution for Baltimore’s Jewish and civic communities.