Budapest Great Synagogue

The "Most beautiful synagogue" title is claimed by the Budapest Great Synagogue. It was built in 1844-49 and is the second largest synagogue in the world! It can seat up to 3,000 people and has a wonderful Byzantine and Moorish style that reminds people of buildings in the Middle East. The decorations in the Great Synagogue are wonderful and rich! The structure of the synagogue has two onion domes and has a gallery for the women and the ground floor is for the men. The Budapest Great Synagogue survived during WWII, and was a shelter to many people. In addition to the synagogue there is a Holocaust Memorial and a Jewish musuem, which is absolutely fabulous.

Beth Israel Synagogue in Oranjestad, Aruba

Today I visited Beth Israel Synagogue in Oranjestad, Aruba. I learned that about 85 Jews live in aruba, most residing in Oranjestad. The community consists of Jewish families that immigrated to Aruba in the 1920's from Poland, Holland, Surinam, and other Eastern Europe countries. In 1942, the Jewish Community of Oranjestad created a Jewish country Club on Palm Beach, which became a place for life-cycle events, like weddings and b'nai mitzvahs. In December of 1956, the Dutch Kingdom officially recognized the Jewish community of Aruba, but many young Jews left for the United States by the 1960's. The Jewish Country Club was slowly abandoned. On November 4, 1962, the Beth Israel Synagogue was consecrated in Oranjestad. Because the Jewish community is so small, there is a joint congregation blending Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions. Coming from a Reform background, it was very cool to take part in a service so different from what I'm used to. I was also interested to learn that the only physical evidence of Jewish presence in Aruba in past centuries is due to a small cemetery in town. The names on the tombstones in this cemetery are almost erased, but still there is so much we can learn from them. If you're ever in Aruba, take the time to stop by this small but powerful synagogue.

The Neve Shalom Synagogue

This synagogue is located in the capital Paramaribo, Suriname. It is a wooden synagogue and the only one active in the capital. It has a special sandy floor. There is many hundred-year-old torahs. In addition, there is also the 148-year-old Mikvah, the old Rabbi's house and many of the 18th century gravestones from the old Sephardic cemetery. The original Neve Shalom Synagogue building was constructed in 1719 by Ashkenazi Jews. The synagogue was rebuilt and enlarged to its current size between 1835 to 1837. It is a must see.

My friend and I just visited Sofia Synagogue in Sofia, Bulagaria. It's one of the largest synagogues in the world, seating up to about 1,200 people. It was constructed for the many Sephardic jews in Bulgaria and resembles another Sephardic temple in Vienna. It is an Orthodox temple and was built in 1909! It's 101 years old and is still used!!The chadelier is huge and is the largest in the whole country! It's beautiful and compliments the whole synagogue nicely. It's structure, especially it's dome top makes it very very beautiful.The Sofia Synagogue also houses the Jewish Musuem of History which includes some information about the Holocaust. It was very interesting because I have never heard about the Holocaust anywhere other than my hometown.

The Peki’in Synagogue is located in the centre of Peki'in, Northern Israel. It contains a fragment of an ancient torah scroll, and stone carvings said to have been brought here for safekeeping by refugees fleeing the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

Bevis Marks Synagogue

The Belvis Marks Synagogue is located in London, England. It is the oldest synagogue still in use in Britian. The Bevis Marks Synagogue was completed in 1701 by a community of Jews. The roof of the synagogue incorporated a beam from a royal ship presented by Queen Anne herself. The roof was destroyed by fire in 1738, and repaired in 1749, but the remainder of the synagogue remains just as it was 200 years ago. The Bevis Marks Synagogue was for more than a century the religious center of the Anglo-Jewish world, and served as a clearing-house for congregational and individual troubles all the world over; such as the appeal of the Jamaican Jews for a reduction in taxation (1736); the internecine quarrel among the Barbados Jews (1753); and the aiding of seven-year-old Moses de Paz, who escaped from Gibraltar in 1777 to avoid an enforced conversion. In 1992 and 1993 the Bevis Marks Synagogue suffered great damage from terrorist bomb attacks on the City of London. Nearly £200,000 was raised by donation and has since been spent in repairing and renovating the structure to return it to its former glory. The Synagogue is really cared about in Britian and is in regular use.

The Ben Ezra Synagogue used to be a Christian church and was founded in 882 The church was purchased by Abraham Ben Ezra, for 20,000 dinars. Abraham Ben Ezra came from Jerusalem during the reign of Ahmed Ibn Tulun. The church was turned into a synagogue and was a place of pilgrimage for North African Jews and the site of major festival celebrations. The synagogue had numerous renovations and was used again starting at 1892. During the reconstruction, a medieval Geniza (a hiding place for sacred books and worn-out Torah scrolls) was discovered, revealing thousands of original documents from the Middle Ages. Now, the Ben Ezra Synagogue is a historical monument and a most-visited Jewish site in Cario. You have to pass through securtiy to visit but you can get a guided tour.