This article needs to be updated. (April 2024) |
The Elfrange Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس الفرنج; Hebrew: בית כנסת אלפרנג', lit. 'Frankish synagogue'), also known as the Faranj Synagogue, is a Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Jewish Quarter, in the Old City of Damascus, in Syria. The Elfrange Synagogue is the last synagogue in Syria used for worship by Jews. The name is also transcribed as al-Faranj or al-Firenj.
| Elfrange Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Jewish Quarter, Old City, Damascus |
| Country | Syria |
  Location of the synagogue in Damascus | |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°30′27″N 36°18′44″E / 33.507587°N 36.312263°E |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 15th century (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 19th century |
Location
editThe synagogue is located in the [ewish Quarter, between the historical estates of Beit Liniado (بيت لنيادو) and Beit Farhi Muallim (بيت فارحي-المعلّم). It is on the east side of a small cul-de-sac known as al-Fannānīn Street.[1][2]
History
editThe Faranj Synagogue is considered the oldest of the still-extant synagogues in the Old City of Damascus. According to oral tradition of Damascene Jews, it was founded by Sephardic refugees at the end of the 15th century following the Reconquista, with the synagogue operating in Judaeo-Spanish. The temple was named "Franj" (Arabic: فرنج) after the Franks, European foreigners.[2] However, the modern structure of the synagogue was built in the second half of the 19th century.[3] Following 1949 pogroms in Syria, many Jews fled and left the country, dwindling the local population able to attend the synagogue. A second wave of immigration occurred following an edict by Hafiz al-Assad allowing Jews to leave the country.[4] In 2020, journalist Rania Kataf claimed that 12 Jews still resided in the city, all elderly, who renovated the synagogue in 2019.[5]
Architecture
editThe Elfrange is a three-Nave temple on a rectangular base. Its round arches rest on cylindrical, stone pillars. The gates, floor, and bema were designed by Maurice Nseiri, a Jewish artisan who later immigrated to the United States.[6] Unlike the interior, the synagogue's exterior is mostly lacking of religious notation.[7]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Al-Franj Synagogue at Damascus, Syria". archive.diarna.org. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Kataf, Rania (November 2020). "Hidden Stories of Damascene Jews: A collection of the cultural memory of the last generation of Jews in Damascus" (PDF). Minor Kontor (in German). p. 21. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Al-Faranj Synagogue". www.lovedamascus.com. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ England, Andrew (May 19, 2010). "Damascus gives old Jewish quarter new life". Financial Times. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Lombard, Jérôme (December 12, 2020). "Eine fast verschwundene Gemeinde". Jüdische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Spielman, Sara Trappler (March 28, 2016). "Syrian Jewish Artist Maurice Nseiri". Hadassah Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Alcoverro, Tomás (May 27, 2017). "La última sinagoga de Damasco, por Tomás Alcoverro". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved January 9, 2024.