The Menarsha Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس المنشارة;[1] Hebrew: בית כנסת אלמנשה),[2] also known as the Great Synagogue of Damascus,[3] is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, that was located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Damascus, in Syria. Completed in the 19th century, the synagogue was the target of a terrorist attack in 1949.[4] The building was partially destroyed, however it has not been used as a synagogue since the anti-Jewish pogroms in the 1940s.
| Menarsha Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue (19th century–1949) |
| Status | Abandoned |
| Location | |
| Location | al-Mansha Street, Jewish Quarter, Old City, Damascus |
| Country | Syria |
  Location of the former synagogue in Damascus | |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°30′29″N 36°18′46″E / 33.50803°N 36.312912°E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 19th century |
| Destroyed | 1949 (partial) |
Location
editThe synagogue is located in the Jewish Quarter, on the east side of al-Mansha Street (Arabic: شارع المنشأ), a north-facing cross street of Talat al-Hijara Street (Arabic: شارع تلة الحجارة), opposite to the northern end of the large historical state of Beit Farhi Muallim.[5]
History
editThe Menarsha Synagogue was built in the second half of the 19th century.[6] On August 5, 1949, the synagogue, which was filled with people for Shabbat services, was the target of a terrorist attack that killed 12 people, most of them children.[7] The attack on the synagogue a year after the establishment of the State of Israel led to a mass exodus of Jews from the city, mostly to the newly-formed State of Israel. A second wave, mostly to the United States, occurred in 1992 when the government of Hafiz al-Assad allowed Jews to leave the country.[8] There are very few Jews in the city in modern times, which has led to the closure and inactivity of the synagogue.[6] The last active synagogue in Damascus was the Elfrange Synagogue.
Architecture
editThe building the synagogue is contained in is a three-Nave hall building on a rectangular ground plan. Its arches rest on white columns with a round cross-section. There is a memorial plaque in the synagogue for the 12 victims of the 1949 terrorist attack.[9]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "صوت العاصمة |يهود دمشق: ممتلكات منهوبة وحقوق مسلوبة، وشعائر على شفير الانهيار". صوت العاصمة (in Arabic). Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "كنيس المنشا | مواقع سياحية في دمشق القديمة". www.lovedamascus.com (in Arabic). Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Great Synagogue at Damascus, Syria". archive.diarna.org. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Syrian Jews". www.histclo.com. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "The Farhi House in 19th Century Damascus". www.farhi.org. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "Al-Menarsha Synagogue | Tourist Attractions in Damascus Old City". www.lovedamascus.com. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Syria (1946-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ England, Andrew (May 19, 2010). "Damascus gives old Jewish quarter new life". Financial Times. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Kataf, Rania (November 2020). "Hidden Stories of Damascene Jews" (PDF). minor-kontor.de. Retrieved January 4, 2024.