Dubrovnik Synagogue Old Synagogue | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
Rite | Nusach Sefard |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
Status | Active (High Holy Days only) |
Location | |
Location | Old Town, Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva County |
Country | Croatia |
Location of the synagogue in Croatia | |
Geographic coordinates | 42°39′02″N18°05′29″E / 42.65056°N 18.09139°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Style | Baroque |
The Dubrovnik Synagogue, commonly called the Old Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The synagogue is the oldest Sefardic synagogue in use in the world and the second oldest synagogue in Europe. [1] It is said to have been established in 1352, but gained legal status in the city in 1408. [2] Owned by the local Jewish community, the main floor functions as a place of worship for the High Holy Days and special occasions, and is now mainly a Jewish museum which hosts numerous ritual items and centuries-old artefacts. [3]
Located in one of the many tiny streets of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, it is connected to a neighboring building which has long been owned by the Tolentino family, who have been caretakers of the synagogue for centuries. [2] The internal layout is different from other European synagogues and has gone numerous refurbishments throughout the centuries, and has a mixture of designs from different eras. The building has sustained damage several times, with the great earthquake in 1667, World War II, and the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s. The damage has been restored as closely as possible to its original design, and the synagogue reopened in 1997. [4] The small museum contains many artefacts from throughout the Jewish community's history in the city.
After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many of the expelled went east and some eventually settled into independent city of Dubrovnik, where there was already a small Jewish community. [5] In 1546, Dubrovnik officials allocated a Jewish settlement within the city, with the main street being called Ulica Zudioska ("Jewish Street") in the Dubrovnik Ghetto. [1] The 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake caused much damage to the city, including the synagogue.
During the Croatian War of Independence, the city was besieged by the Serbian and Montenegrin paramilitary forces in what has been called the Siege of Dubrovnik. Approximately two thirds of the old city was in some way damaged, including the synagogue, where shells and grenades hit the adjacent buildings in 1991, shattering the windows of the sanctuary and Jewish Community Headquarters. [6] In 1992, an artillery shell hit through the roof of the synagogue, causing the congregation to pack up over 80 items to send to the Yeshiva University museum, which included a 13th-century Torah and silver ornaments and textiles. [7] After the war ended, a legal battle ensued between a Manhattan doctor Michael Papo, former president of Dubrovnik community and a direct descendant of Tolentino family, and at the time leader of the Dubrovnik Jewish community late Dr. Bruno Horowitz and the state of Croatia over the synagogue's treasures; eventually, a court ruled in 1998 that the treasures be returned to Dubrovnik. [8]
Today, because of the small number of Jews in Dubrovnik, the synagogue does not have its own rabbi. On holy days, a visiting rabbi would conduct services for the small community. In 2003, Israeli president Moshe Katsav visited the Dubrovnik synagogue on a visit to Croatia. [9]
The Romaniote Jews or the Romaniotes are a Greek-speaking ethnic Jewish community. They are one of the oldest Jewish communities in existence and the oldest Jewish community in Europe. The Romaniotes have been, and remain, historically distinct from the Sephardim, some of whom settled in Ottoman Greece after the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal after 1492.
The history of the Jews in Greece can be traced back to at least the fourth century BCE. The oldest and the most characteristic Jewish group that has inhabited Greece are the Romaniotes, also known as "Greek Jews." The term "Greek Jew" is predominantly used for any Jew that lives in or originates from the modern region of Greece.
Bevis Marks Synagogue, officially Qahal Kadosh Sha'ar ha-Shamayim, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located off Bevis Marks, Aldgate, in the City of London, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation is affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community and worships in the Sephardic rite.
Heřmanův Městec is a town in Chrudim District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
The history of the Jews in North Macedonia stretches back two thousand years, beginning during Roman antiquity, when Jews first arrived in the region. Today, following the Holocaust and emigration, especially to Israel, around 200 Jews remain in North Macedonia, mostly in the capital, Skopje and a few in Štip and Bitola.
The history of the Jews in Croatia dates back to at least the 3rd century, although little is known of the community until the 10th and 15th centuries. According to the 1931 census, the community numbered 21,505 members, and it is estimated that on the eve of the Second World War the population was around 25,000 people. Most of the population was murdered during the Holocaust that took place on the territory of the Nazi puppet state called the Independent State of Croatia. After the war, half of the survivors chose to settle in Israel, while an estimated 2,500 members continued to live in Croatia. According to the 2011 census, there were 509 Jews living in Croatia, but that number is believed to exclude those born of mixed marriages or those married to non-Jews. More than 80 percent of the Zagreb Jewish Community were thought to fall in those two categories.
The history of the Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina spans from the arrival of the first Bosnian Jews as a result of the Spanish Inquisition to the survival of the Bosnian Jews through the Holocaust and the Yugoslav Wars. Jews are one of the minority peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the country's constitution.
The history of the Jews of Montenegro dates back to the times when that area was connected to the division of the Roman Empire between Roman and Byzantine rule. Since modern-day Montenegro is a young country the Jewish community of Montenegro is the youngest and one of the smallest Jewish communities in the world. The decision on forming a formal community was made in June 2011 at the home of Mrs. Đina Lazar in Herceg Novi. At the end of July of the same year, the community was registered as a citizens' association and thus gained certain legal legitimacy. Very soon after registering, the Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yona Metzger visited Montenegro and the Jewish community. Rabbi Metzger, along with escorts and leading members of the community, was received by the most important state officials: the Presidents of the State, the Parliament and the Government.
The Ben Ezra Synagogue, sometimes referred to as the El-Geniza Synagogue or the Synagogue of the Levantines (al-Shamiyin), is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Fustat part of Old Cairo, Egypt. According to local folklore, it is located on the site where baby Moses was found.
The Old Yishuv Court Museum is an ethnographic museum on Or HaHaim Street in the Jewish Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem. It showcases the traditional lifestyle of the Jewish Old Yishuv community during the late Ottoman and Mandatory periods, leading up to the fall of the Jewish Quarter to the Jordanian army in the 1948 War of Independence.
Bar'am, also Baram, is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located approximately 300 meters from Israel's border with Lebanon near the ruins of the ancient Jewish village of Kfar Bar'am. Bar'am National Park is known for the remains of one of Israel's oldest synagogues. The kibbutz falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council and had a population of 672 in 2022.
The history of the Jews in Taiwan is about the Jewish community residing in Taiwan, a country located in East Asia. While the Jewish population in Taiwan is relatively small compared to other communities around the world, it has a rich and diverse history that spans several decades. The first sizable presence began in the 1950s, when religious services were held in the United States military chapel, to which civilians also had access.
Historic synagogues include synagogues that date back to ancient times and synagogues that represent the earliest Jewish presence in cities around the world. Some synagogues were destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site. Others were converted into churches and mosques or used for other purposes.
The Zagreb Synagogue was a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Zagreb, in modern-day Croatia. The synagogue building was constructed in 1867 in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia within the Austrian Empire, and was used until it was demolished by the Ustaše fascist authorities in 1941 in the Axis-aligned Independent State of Croatia.
The history of the Jews in Florence can be traced over nine hundred years. Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. The Jews of Florence have one of the oldest continuous Jewish communities in Europe. The historic Jewish community in Florence is one of the largest and one of the most influential Jewish communities in Italy. The Jewish community in Florence also serves the smaller neighboring Jewish communities in Pisa, Livorno, and Siena.
The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum is a museum commemorating the Jewish refugees who lived in Shanghai during World War II after fleeing Europe to escape the Holocaust. It is located at the former Ohel Moshe or Moishe Synagogue, in the Tilanqiao Historic Area of Hongkou district, Shanghai, China. The museum features documents, photographs, films, and personal items documenting the lives of some of the more than 20,000 Jewish residents of the Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees, better known as the Shanghai Ghetto, during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
The Jewish Museum of Rome is situated in the basement of the Great Synagogue of Rome and offers both information on the Jewish presence in Rome since the second century BCE and a large collection of works of art produced by the Jewish community. A visit to the museum includes a guided tour of the Great Synagogue and of the smaller Spanish Synagogue in the same complex.
Balkan Jews refers to Jews who live or lived in the Balkans.
The Jewish Municipality of Sarajevo, also the Jewish community of Sarajevo, is a religious organization of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Jewish origin. The seat of the municipality is in Sarajevo.
The Jewish community of Dubrovnik existed as early as the 15th century, and grew significantly with the arrival of Jews and Marranos expelled from Spain and Portugal. The Jews of Dubrovnik played a significant role in the trade and diplomatic relations of the Republic of Ragusa but also experienced expulsions, restrictions and persecution. The Jews of Dubrovnik gained legal equality in the 19th century. The community was decimated in the Holocaust during the Second World War. Due to that and to the subsequent emigration, the community currently numbers about 30 members.
Dr.Michael Papo has safeguarded the treasures and planned to return them in any case.