The Little Synagogue (Ladino: Esnoga Chica), officially Ets Hayim Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 91 Irish Town, Irish Town, in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
| The Little Synagogue | |
|---|---|
Ladino: Esnoga Chica | |
 Little Synagogue, Irish Town interior | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 91 Irish Town, Irish Town, Gibraltar, British overseas territories |
| Country | United Kingdom |
  Location of the synagogue in Gibraltar | |
| Geographic coordinates | 36°08′33″N 5°21′15″W / 36.14237°N 5.35405°W |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 1789 |
| [1] | |
History
editGibraltar 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. 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.
They disliked the formal services at The Great Synagogue, which they referred to as the Dutch Synagogue. In 1759, the Yeshivah, Talmudic Academy, which had been established by Isaac Nieto in Irish Town, was converted into a synagogue for the Moroccan Jews. It was named Es Hayim (English: Tree of Life), but is more commonly known as The Little Synagogue.[2] It is believed to have been destroyed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar and later rebuilt.[3] The synagogue at 47/49 Engineer Lane has colourful tiles, marble floors, wrought iron spindles, and wooden furniture.[4]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Ets Hayim Synagogue". Jewish Communities & Records UK (JCR-UK). JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- ^ Benady, Tito (July 2009). "The Synagogues of Gibraltar" (PDF). Rock Talk: Friends of Gibraltar (2): 14–15. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ "Synagogues". Gibraltar Jewish Community. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ "Virtual Jewish History Tour". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
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