The imposing synagogue had two domes and was designed by the Australian architect, Edgar Alfred Henry, who had emigrated to Natal from Sydney in 1900.
The building was designed by Samuel Norton Tomkin, a distinguished South African Jewish architect and long-time Durban resident.
[6] Tony Leon, future leader of the opposition, grew up in Durban, and had his Bar Mitzvah at the Great Synagogue in the late 1960s, and also attended High Holiday services there.
The incident also prompted a response from then-State President PW Botha, issuing a strong warning to Neo-Nazis in the country, telling them that he was not prepared to tolerate their antics.
[14][15] In 2017, the congregation relocated to a smaller building in Berea to reflect demographic changes, with the city's Jewish community numbering around 2, 000, down from a high of between 7, 000 to 7,500 in the seventies.
[16][1] The Great Synagogue buildings are now occupied by Stadio (previously Embury), a tertiary education institute.