The Little Synagogue

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The Little Synagogue
Ladino: Esnoga Chica
Little Synagogue Irish Town.jpg
Little Synagogue, Irish Town interior
Religion
Affiliation Orthodox Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status Synagogue
StatusActive
Location
Location91 Irish Town, Irish Town, Gibraltar, British overseas territories
Country United Kingdom
Gibraltar location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the synagogue in Gibraltar
Geographic coordinates 36°08′33″N5°21′15″W / 36.14237°N 5.35405°W / 36.14237; -5.35405
Architecture
Date established1789
[1]

The Little Synagogue (Ladino : Esnoga Chica), otherwise known as Ets Hayim Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 91 Irish Town, in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The synagogue was established in 1759.

Contents

History

Gibraltar had two sets of synagogue customs. Spanish and Portuguese Jews were accustomed to the formality of Christian church services and, therefore, their services tended to be formal. [2] However, in Morocco, Jews were prohibited from building places of worship under shariah law. Subsequently, they were accustomed to meeting in makeshift groups in their own homes and continued to do so in Gibraltar. [3]

They disliked the formal services at The Great Synagogue, which they referred to as the Dutch Synagogue. In 1759, the Yeshivah , a Talmudic Academy, which had been established by Isaac Nieto, was converted into the Little Synagogue for the use of the Moroccan Jews. Its official name is Es Hayim (English: Tree of Life), after the Talmudic Academy in Amsterdam, but is more commonly known as The Little Synagogue. [4] [5] It is believed to have been destroyed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar and later rebuilt. [6]

The synagogue was renovated in 1921. [7]

In 1749, the Jewish population of the island was around 600 people, and this grew, peaking at around 1500 in the 1870s. The number of Jews decreased during World War II as many were evacuated from the island and never returned. The current Jewish population sits at around. [3]

Historically the Jewish cemetary of the island was the Jewish Gate Cemetary on Windmill Hill used between 1746 and 1848. The current cemetary is located on Devil's Tower Road. [4]

See also

References

  1. "Ets Hayim Synagogue". Jewish Communities & Records UK (JCR-UK). JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  2. "Jews in Gibraltar and the music of their synagogues". jewish-music.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Gibraltar Virtual Jewish History Tour". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Gibraltar - jewish heritage, history, synagogues, museums, areas and sites to visit". JGuide Europe. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  5. Benady, Tito (July 2009). "The Synagogues of Gibraltar" (PDF). Rock Talk: Friends of Gibraltar (2): 14–15. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  6. "Synagogues". Gibraltar Jewish Community. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  7. "Etz Hayim Synagogue (The Little Synagogue) in Gibraltar". cja.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 25 June 2025.