The Beth Yaakov Synagogue is located in the heart of the city of Geneva. It has also been known as the Grande Synagogue. It was built between 1858 and 1859 for the Ashkenazi Jewish community, which comprised about 200 people at the time of the synagogue's construction.
The architecture a mix of Moorish Revival architecture and Byzantine architecture. The synagogue was designed by the Swiss Architect Jean Henri Bachofen. At the entrance one can see Moorish style Arches. The platform for reading of the Torah (the bimah) is located in front of the Torah ark, opposite the main entrance. This style was adopted later in the history of world Synagogues, since the Bimah was usually built in the middle of the congregation. Women have their own sections on both sides of the prayer hall. The building has been registered as a Historic monument (Switzerland) because of its architecture.
A synagogue, also called a shul or temple, is a Jewish house of worship. The term "synagogue" is also occasionally used to describe a Samaritan house of worship. Synagogues have a place for prayer and may also have rooms for study, a social hall, and offices. Some have a separate room for Torah study called a beth midrash.
Torah ark refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls.
Princes Road Synagogue is a synagogue on Princes Road in the Toxteth district of Liverpool, England. It is the home of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation. It was founded in the late 1860s, designed by William James Audsley and George Ashdown Audsley, and consecrated on 2 September 1874. It is widely regarded as the finest example of the Moorish Revival style of synagogue architecture in the UK, and synagogues emulating its design can be found as far away as Sydney.
Synagogue architecture often follows styles in vogue at the place and time of construction. There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. According to tradition, the Divine Presence (Shekhinah) can be found wherever there is a minyan, a quorum, of ten. A synagogue always contains an ark, called aron ha-kodesh by Ashkenazim and hekhal by Sephardim, where the Torah scrolls are kept.
The Old New Synagogue, also called the Altneuschul, situated in Josefov, Prague, is Europe's oldest active synagogue. It is also the oldest surviving medieval synagogue of twin-nave design.
A bema was an elevated platform used as an orator's podium in ancient Athens. The term can refer to the raised area in a sanctuary. In Jewish synagogues, where it is used for Torah reading during services, the term used is bima or bimah.
The Chesed-El Synagogue is a synagogue in Singapore. It is located at Oxley Rise in the River Valley Planning Area, within the Central Area of Singapore.
Magen Abraham Synagogue is the only Jewish synagogue of Gujarat state situated in Ahmedabad, India. It was built in 1934 using donations from members of the Bene Israel Jewish community of the state.
The Ibn Danan Synagogue is a synagogue in Fes, Morocco, dating from the 17th century. It was built by Mimoun Ben Sidan, a wealthy merchant from the town of Ait Ishaq. The synagogue is located in the Mellah district within Fes el-Jdid, one of the components of the historic medina of Fes.
The Semper Synagogue, also known as the Dresden Synagogue, designed by Gottfried Semper and built from 1838 to 1840, was dedicated on 8 May 1840. It was an early example of the Moorish Revival style of synagogue architecture.
The Synagogue in Glockengasse was a synagogue in Cologne built to the plans of the architect of the Cologne Cathedral, Ernst Friedrich Zwirner. It was built on the previous Monastery of St. Clarissa, where a modest hall of prayer had been erected in the years of the French occupation and had been closed in 1853 because it was unsafe.
The Włodawa Synagogue in Włodawa, Poland is an architectural complex consisting of two historic synagogues and a Jewish administrative building, now preserved as a museum. The complex includes the Włodawa Great Synagogue of 1764–74, the late 18th century Small Synagogue, and the 1928 community building. It is "one of the best-preserved" synagogues in Poland.
Córdoba Synagogue is a historic edifice in the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba, Spain, built in 1315. The synagogue's small size points to it having possibly been the private synagogue of a wealthy man. It is also possible that Córdoba's complex of buildings was a yeshivah, kollel, or study hall. Another possibility is that this was the synagogue of a trade guild, which converted a residence or one of the work rooms into the synagogue. The synagogue was decorated according to the best Mudejar tradition.
The Tykocin Synagogue is a historic synagogue building in Tykocin, Poland. The synagogue, in mannerist-early Baroque style, was built in 1642.
Temple Oheb Shalom is a Reform synagogue in Baltimore, Maryland. The highest point in the city is located in its parking lot.
The Cheltenham Synagogue is a synagogue in Cheltenham noted for its Regency architecture. It is an independent congregation located in the town centre on Synagogue Lane, off St James's Square.
The Grand Synagogue of Paris, generally known as Synagogue de la Victoire or Grande Synagogue de la Victoire, is situated at 44, Rue de la Victoire, in the 9th arrondissement. It also serves as the official seat of the chief rabbi of Paris.
The Synagogue of Livorno is a historic synagogue in Livorno, Italy.
The Canton Synagogue is one of five synagogues in the Jewish Ghetto of Venice, Italy. Established only four years after the nearby Scuola Grande Tedesca (1528), it is the second oldest Venetian synagogue. Its origins are uncertain: it might have been constructed as a prayer room for a group of Provençal Jews soon after their arrival in Venice, or as a private synagogue for a prominent local family. Repeatedly remodeled throughout its history, its interior is predominantly decorated in the Baroque and Rococo styles.
The Synagogue Status Quo Ante from Târgu Mureș, located at No. 24, Aurel Filimon street, is the cultural centre for the small Jewish community in the city of Târgu Mureș proper, as well as the larger Transilvanian region. It was originally constructed during the Austro-Hungarian period, in 1899–1900, in an eclectic architectural style.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/switzerland/geneva-grande-synagogue.htm
Coordinates: 46°12′10″N6°08′27″E / 46.20278°N 6.14083°E
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