Beit Yehuda Synagogue
Former synagogue, now Jewish museum, in Tangier, Morocco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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- Synagogue (1890–c. 1950s)
- Jewish museum (since 2022)
- Closed (as a synagogue);
- Repurposed
| Beit Yehuda Synagogue | |
|---|---|
1901 Baedeker map of Tangier, showing the synagogue just north of rue Es-Siaghine ("Main Street") | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
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| Status |
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| Location | |
| Location | Tangier |
| Country | Morocco |
 Interactive map of Beit Yehuda Synagogue | |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Completed | 1890 |
The Beit Yehuda Synagogue, also known as Assayag Synagogue, is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Tangier, Morocco. The synagogue was completed in 1890.
Last used as a synagogue in the c. 1950s, the building has housed the Jewish Museum of Tangier, a Jewish museum and cultural landmark, since 2022.
Overview
Unlike other Moroccan cities, Tangier had no walled Jewish quarter or mellah.[1]: 93 Even so, its synagogues were clustered in a neighborhood on the southwestern side of the medina,[2] known as Beni Idder for the family that initiated its development.[1]: 92
The Beit Yehuda Synagogue was founded in 1890 slightly north of Beni Idder on the other side of rue Es-Siaghine. It remained in service until the late 1950s. It was then abandoned for about six decades.[3]
The former synagogue's revival as a museum was one of the cultural initiatives launched by the Moroccan government in the wake of the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement of December 2020.[4] The renovation was led by architect Malika Laâroussi, and the creation of the museum by museographer Isabelle Timsit.[5] The museum was inaugurated on 19 August 2022.[6]
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