In 1890, the Eastern European migrants established Edinburgh New Hebrew Congregation in Richmond Court.

[5]: 63–64 Under Rabbi Salis Daiches in October 1926 the community formed a fundraising committee to build a larger synagogue.

Construction of the new synagogue began on 3 May 1931 when Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted laid the foundation stone.

[7] The purpose-built synagogue could hold 1,000 people and also had a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) on the premises.

[8] Faced in red brick it is built in a simplified Byzantine Revival style with a large central dome suspended from the flat roof by steel hangers which floods the building with light.

While the mikveh was in disuse by this point, it was retained and in 2003 came back into use when the synagogue was renovated again with the help of a £300,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.