Menarsha Synagogue
Historic synagogue in Damascus, Syria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Menarsha Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس المنشارة;[1] Hebrew: בית כנסת אלמנשה),[2] also known as the Great Synagogue of Damascus,[3] is a historic synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Damascus, in Syria. Completed in the 19th century, the synagogue was the target of a terrorist attack in 1949.[4] The building was partially destroyed and has not been used as a synagogue since the anti-Jewish pogroms in the 1940s.
(19th century–1949)
| Menarsha Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue (19th century–1949) |
| Status | Abandoned |
| Location | |
| Location | al-Mansha Street, Jewish Quarter, Old City, Damascus |
| Country | Syria |
  Location of the former synagogue in Damascus | |
| Coordinates | 33°30′29″N 36°18′46″E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 19th century |
| Destroyed | 1949 (partial) |
Location
History
The Menarsha Synagogue was built in the second half of the 19th century.[6] On August 5, 1949, the synagogue, which was filled with people for Shabbat services, was the target of a terrorist attack that killed 12 people, most of them children.[7] The attack on the synagogue a year after the establishment of the State of Israel led to a mass exodus of Jews from the city, mostly to the newly-formed State of Israel. A second wave, mostly to the United States, occurred in 1992 when the government of Hafez al-Assad allowed Jews to leave the country.[8] There are very few Jews in the city in modern times, which has led to the closure and inactivity of the synagogue.[6] The last active synagogue in Damascus was the Elfrange Synagogue.
Architecture
The building the synagogue is contained in is a three-Nave hall building on a rectangular ground plan. Its arches rest on white columns with a round cross-section. There is a memorial plaque in the synagogue for the 12 victims of the 1949 terrorist attack.[9]
.svg){kind=small}