In 1861, 17 members left Detroit's Beth El Society to form the Shaarey Zedek Society. By 1877, they had built the first synagogue in the city designed specifically for Jewish worship. New buildings followed in 1902 and 1913, the same year Shaarey Zedek became Detroit's first Conservative congregation and a founding member of the United Synagogue of America.

In 1922, as Shaaray Zedek Congregation's membership grew and financial conditions were strong, the congregation began discussing the construction of a new, larger synagogue. By 1925, they had decided to purchase a site, and the renowned Detroit architect Albert Kahn was commissioned for the project. Excavation began in 1927.

There was broad agreement on the scope of the new facility: a main sanctuary seating between 2,500 and 3,000 people, a smaller sanctuary for 500, a daily chapel for 100, and a multi-purpose hall accommodating 1,000 and more. Kahn’s initial plans came with a $750,000 price tag, but delays and the economic impact of the Great Depression forced the congregation to scale the project back by one-third. Even so, the result on Chicago Blvd. stands as a significant and late example of the Byzantine architectural style that was favored for American synagogues during the 1920s and 1930s.

The congregation moved to its new home on West Chicago Boulevard in 1932. At its centennial meeting in 1961, members approved plans for a new and larger synagogue in Southfield Township. Designed by Percival Goodman, the new building was dedicated in January 1963.