- Address: רח 'המלך ג'ורג 56, Jerusalem, 9107802, Israel;
- Discovery: 1982;
- Phone: +972 2-623-0628;
- Architect: Alexander Freidman.
Despite the fact that the great Jerusalem Temple, which for many centuries was the center of the religious life of the entire Jewish people, was destroyed many years ago, the memory of it lives in the hearts of true Jewish believers to this day. In the twentieth century, the image of the sacred Temple found its material embodiment in the form of a large synagogue built in the center of the capital of Israel , which reflected the main external features of the once majestic religious structure.
History
In the 20-ies of the twentieth century in Jerusalem, among the main tasks assigned to the city administration, was the item on the construction of the central large synagogue. The initiators of the construction of the new building for the worship services were Rabbi Jacob Meir and Abraham Yitzhak Kaan Kuk. Achievement of monetary subsidies at that time was rather difficult, only in 1958 it was possible to launch the construction project.
To solve several problems related to the religious life in the capital, it was decided to place in the new building, called Geikhal Shlomo, not only the synagogue, but also several other institutions. Among them: the offices of the Chief Rabbinate, the Central Religious Library, the Religious Law Enforcement Commission, the Supreme Court, the Religious Affairs Department, the Museum,
The opening of the Gayhal Shlomo was long-awaited and pathetic, but after a while it became clear that the room allocated to it under the synagogue could not accommodate all comers.
In 1982, thanks to the impressive donation of the family of the Jewish philanthropist from England, Isaac Wolfson, it became possible to build a more spacious synagogue for 1400 seats. The new structure was created according to the project of A. Fridman and is dedicated to the memory of the fallen soldiers of the IDF, as well as to the Jews who died during the Holocaust.
The spiritual leader of the synagogue was Rabbi Zalman Druk. In 2009, after his death, this post was taken by Rabbi David M. Fuld.
Features of architecture and interior
The main feature of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem is undoubtedly its external resemblance to the great Jewish Temple. But there are other non-ordinary features that distinguish it among other cult Jewish buildings. One of them is a combination of the signs of two types of synagogues: Ashkenazi and Sephardi. All worship services take place according to Ashkenazi laws and traditions, but the interior decoration, namely, the location and shape of the seats, more like a Sephardic synagogue.
R. Khaim was engaged in artistic decoration of the interior and exterior. Inside the parishioners there is a spacious hall. It is often used to accommodate exhibition expositions and conduct public events. On an ongoing basis in the foyer of the Great Synagogue, an exhibition of mezuzah, assembled by Dr. B. Rosenbaum, is on display. This is the only collection in the world that has so many original and rare mezuzahs (small boxes with sayings from the Torah that are customarily installed on the door frame).
The main hall of the Great Synagogue is led by a massive marble staircase with patterned original lamps.
At the entrance to the hall, attention is immediately attracted by a huge stained-glass window, located directly in the center. Each of its sections represents a certain history, and all together they symbolize the past, present and future of the entire Jewish people:
- in the center of the stained-glass window there is a fire bush, which according to legend was seen in Moses as an image of the Most High, which inspired the prophet to free the Jews from Egyptian slavery;
- at the very top are the hands, eyes and wings of the seraphim, symbolizing the invisible presence of God in the life of every believing Jew;
- below is a tree of life growing out of the earth, soaked with the blood and tears of the Jewish people;
- also in the composition included stained glass with various biblical quotations, cabbalistic signs and the names of prophets.
The center of the main hall of the Great Synagogue is occupied by a bima, with which the rabbis address the parishioners. There are also wedding ceremonies, a special wedding canopy is set up nearby. The hall is lit by a huge chandelier weighing about three tons.
Along the walls there are also several colorful stained glass windows. The patterns on them are similar to those used to paint traditional carpets for synagogues of Bukhara and Mountain Jews.
The main part of the benches is located around the bima, there are several seats and opposite aron ga-kodesh (special cabinet, where Torah scrolls are kept).
The Great Synagogue in Jerusalem is a sacred place for all Jews. Representatives of all Judaism tend to come here, even exacting orthodoxes (for them even the "Amuda" - the chair for the Ashkenazi rabbis) was established.
In addition to the main prayer hall, there are several ceremonial and banquet rooms where clergy meetings and solemn events are held.
Information for tourists
- A large synagogue is open to visitors daily in the morning: from Sunday to Thursday from 09:00 to 13:00, Fridays from 09:00 to 10:30, on Saturdays from 08:00 to 11:00;
- entrance to clothing with open knees and shoulders is prohibited;
- men should cover their heads with a bale or other headgear;
- if you like liturgical music, be sure to visit the Great Synagogue on Saturday (here is the only institutional synagogue choir in Israel).
How to get there?
The Great Synagogue of Jerusalem is located on the street. King George, 58, directly opposite the Leonardo Plaza hotel. This part of the city is quite lively, so you can get here by public transport from virtually any area.
Two minutes from the synagogue, on King George Street, there is a bus stop, through which there are about 30 shuttle buses (No. 18, 22, 34, 71, 264, 480, etc.).
At 200 meters, on Gershon Argon Street, there are two more stops, where buses No. 13, 19 and 38 stop.