The Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת שער השמים, lit. 'Gate of Heaven'; Arabic: كنيس عدلي), also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 17 Adly Street in Cairo, Egypt.[2]
| Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 The façade of the synagogue in 2013 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 17 Adly Street, Cairo |
| Country | Egypt |
  Location of the synagogue, relative to the Nile Delta | |
| Geographic coordinates | 30°03′05″N 31°14′37″E / 30.05139°N 31.24361°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | |
| Groundbreaking | 1899 |
| Completed | 1908 |
| [1] | |
History
editIts long-time leader was Chief Rabbi Chaim Nahum. In 2008, the synagogue marked its 100th anniversary.[3] The synagogue was built in a style evoking ancient Egyptian temples, and was once the largest building on the boulevard.[4]
Work commenced on the synagogue in 1899 and it was inaugurated in 1908,[5] at a time when there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s.[3][5] Today the community numbers approximately six members, most of them older women.[3][6]
The building houses a collection of a few hundred books, ranging in age from the 1500s to contemporary times, concerning or relevant to the history of Jews in Egypt.
Although it is considered a Sephardic synagogue, many Ashkenazi Jews were members of the congregation and contributed to its construction and upkeep.[7]
The synagogue underwent minor exterior renovations in 2007.
In February 2010, a booby-trapped suitcase was hurled at the synagogue from a nearby hotel. The suitcase caught fire, but no one was hurt and no damage was reported.[4]
Gallery
edit-
Renovations (2007) -
Exterior guard (Cairo police) -
Synagogue pews -
Synagogue bimah -
Older text from 1500s -
Collections in the Library -
Commemorative Plaque
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Raafat, Samir (September 2, 1999). "Gates of Heaven". Cairo Times.
- ^ "Synagogues: Cairo". Association Internationale Nebi Daniel. n.d. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Stern, Yoav (November 4, 2007). "Cairo Synagogue marks 100 years of grandeur and decline". Haaretz. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ^ a b "Bomb Hurled at Main Synagogue in Cairo; No Casualties". Haaretz. Associated Press. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ a b "Shaar Hashamayim (Adly St.) Synagogue at Cairo, Egypt" (includes image gallery). Diarna.org. Digital Heritage Mapping. 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Meital, Prof Yoram (August 17, 2024). "Study of Cairo's synagogues reveals an Egyptian Jewish 'Golden Age' abruptly ended". The Times of Israel (Interview). Interviewed by Gavriel Fiske. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ "Egypt Landmarks". EGY.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2007.
Further reading
edit
- Ulmer, Rivka (2009). "The Sha'ar Ha-Shamayim Synagogue (Keniset Isma'iliyah,) in Cairo, Egypt". Maven in Blue Jeans: A Festschrift in Honor of Zev Garber. West Lafayette: Shofar Suppl.; Purdue University Press. pp. 431–40.