The Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת של יצחק בן וואליד; Arabic: كنيس إسحاق بن الوليد; Spanish: Sinagoga Isaac Bengualid), is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the mellah of Tetuan, Morocco.[1][2][3]
| Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 The synagogue interior, in 2019 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active (visitors only) |
| Location | |
| Location | Mellah, Tetuan |
| Country | Morocco |
  Location of the synagogue in Morocco | |
| Geographic coordinates | 35°34′12.115″N 5°22′1.765″W / 35.57003194°N 5.36715694°W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
 | |
History
editThe synagogue is named after Rabbi Isaac Bengualid (1777–1870),[4] author of the 2-volume Vayomer Yitzhak, a history of the Jews of Tetuan. Rabbi Bengualid was a prominent member of Tetuan's Jewish community, which comprised about 4,200 members at the time,[1] and was considered the center of the Moroccan Sephardic community.[5]
The Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue was built in the new mellah south of the medina of Tetuan, created when Sultan Slimane decided to build a grand mosque on the location of the old mellah. At the time, Tetuan was the heart of the Sephardi community in Morocco and it had 16 synagogues.[2][6] Its second floor served as a yeshiva,[7] and it also contained a mikveh for women and an oven for the preparation of matzah.[5]
The synagogue held its last regular service in 1968, and it is currently only used for guided visits or for pilgrimages of former residents during hiloulot;[8] the Moroccan Jewish Community transformed it into a museum.[9] In 2001, the AECID and the Junta of Andalusia financed the restoration of the synagogue, in cooperation with the Municipality of Tétouan, the Foundation for Moroccan Jewish Cultural Heritage and the Bengualid family, which still owns the building.[7][10]
Gallery
edit-
Sign at the entrance of the synagogue in Arabic, Spanish and English. -
An apparatus inside the synagogue to control lights automatically for sabbath.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Tetuan". Museum of The Jewish People - Beit Hatfutsot. Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ a b "Le nouveau mellah de Tétouan et la synagogue Bengualid". BC Mediterranea (in French). Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ "Tetouan Synagogue, Tetouan, Morocco". Diarna. Digital Mapping Project. 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ Angel, Marc (October 1, 2010). "Bengualid (Ben Walīd), Isaac". Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World.
- ^ a b "Il nuovo mellah di Tétouan e la sinagoga Bengualid". BC Mediterranea (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2022.
- ^ "The Jews of Tetuan, Morocco: Genealogy and Iconography". avotaynuonline.com. August 31, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Rehabilitación de la Sinagoga Bengualid" (PDF). Junta de Andalucia (in Spanish).
- ^ "Off The Beaten Path In Morocco". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "A Hidden Gem on the Edge of the Mediterranean: Discover Tetouan's Jewish Heritage". New York Jewish Travel Guide. December 25, 2019.
- ^ "Uno de los más antiguos de la ciudad: El Barrio judío o Al Mellah de Tetuán" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
External links
edit
Media related to Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue at Wikimedia Commons