Beit Rachel Synagogue, Astana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MunicipalityAstana
CountryKazakhstan
| Beit Rachel Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Location | |
| Municipality | Astana |
| Country | Kazakhstan |
  Shown within Kazakhstan | |
| Geographic coordinates | 51°09′26″N 71°27′42″E / 51.1573088°N 71.4616569°E |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | September 7, 2004 |
Beit Rachel Synagogue is a synagogue in Astana, Kazakhstan. Opened on September 7, 2004,[1][2] it is the largest synagogue in Central Asia.
Its opening ceremony was attended by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger.[3] Its construction was funded by Kazakh-Israeli billionaire Alexander Mashkevitch.[4][5] The synagogue is named after Rachel Joffe, mother of Alexander Mashkevich, leader of Kazakh Jewry and president of the EAJC.[6] The Jakarta Post describes the synagogue, a rare example of its kind a Muslim-majority country, as "a symbol of how a Muslim country can build and sustain a peaceful relationship between Islam and Judaism."[7]
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