Historic Synagogues: Architectures and Sacred Spaces

Synagogal architecture, from Antiquity to the contemporary era, reflects both the needs of Jewish worship and the constraints and aspirations of the societies within which communities lived. The ancient synagogue of Dura Europos, adorned with figurative frescoes discovered in the twentieth century, testifies to a rich iconography within late-antique Judaism. In the Middle Ages and the modern period, synagogues often had to contend with restrictions limiting their visibility and height. In the nineteenth century, emancipation permitted the construction of grand edifices, sometimes in neo-Moorish style, displaying Jewish presence in the urban landscape. The study of these buildings, their interior layout (the holy ark, the bima), and their decoration illuminates the history of relations between Jews and surrounding societies.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan