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Grand Synagogue of Paris

Coordinates: 48°52′32″N 2°20′11″E / 48.8756°N 2.33639°E / 48.8756; 2.33639
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grand Synagogue of Paris
French: Grande Synagogue de Paris
Façade of the synagogue, in 2014
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
StatusActive
Location
Location44, Rue de la Victoire, IXe arrondissement, Paris
CountryFrance
Grand Synagogue of Paris is located in Paris
Grand Synagogue of Paris
Location of the synagogue in Paris
Geographic coordinates48°52′32″N 2°20′11″E / 48.8756°N 2.33639°E / 48.8756; 2.33639
Architecture
Architect(s)Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe
TypeSynagogue architecture
Style
Funded byGustave de Rothschild
Groundbreaking1867
Completed1874
Specifications
Direction of façadeWest
Capacity1,800 worshippers
Length28 metres (92 ft) (nave)
Height (max)36 metres (118 ft) (façade)
Website
lavictoire.org (in French)
Official nameSynagogue
TypeBase Mérimée
DesignatedJuly 8, 1993
Reference no.PA00089001
[1][2]

The Grand Synagogue of Paris (French: Grande Synagogue de Paris), generally known as Synagogue de la Victoire (English: Synagogue of Victory) or Grande Synagogue de la Victoire (English: Grand Synagogue of Victory), is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 44, Rue de la Victoire, in the IXe arrondissement of Paris, France.

Since its establishment in 1874, the synagogue has served as the official seat of the chief rabbi of Paris;[3] with the Synagogue de Nazareth previously being the seat.[4] The synagogue building was classified as a monument historique on July 8, 1993.[1] With a capacity of 1,800 worshippers, it is the second largest synagogue in Europe, after the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest.[2]

The congregation worships in the Ashkenazi rite.

History

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In the 1800s, the number of Jewish people significantly increased in France, including Paris, as a result of the French Revolution. By 1861 over 30,000 Jews lived in Paris. The earlier synagogues, built in Le Marais, were too small to accommodate the growing congregations. Gustave de Rothschild sought and was granted permission by Emperor Napoleon III to build a new larger synagogue. The city of Paris offered a plot of land in the business district, and de Rothschild funded construction of the synagogue.[5]

The building was designed by Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe (architect of the Versailles Synagogue and the Enghien-les-Bains commune) in the Romanesque Revival style, embellished with Byzantine Revival frills.[5] Construction commenced in 1867, the synagogue was inaugurated in 1874, and opened to the general public in 1875. Despite initial plans that the synagogue face east on Rue de la Saint-Georges, opposite two Roman Catholic churches, Empress Eugénie, the Catholic wife of Napoleon III, opposed plans and the synagogue was faced west, on the narrower Rue de la Victoire.[5][6]

The inscription in Hebrew at the entrance is a verse from Genesis 28,17 : "This is none other than the House of God, the very gateway to Heaven", the same as is found on the entrance to the synagogue of Reims and that of Bar-le-Duc. The interior has a number of religious inscriptions above the doors. In the choir pulpit is written in French the names of the prophets. Above the Torah Ark is engraved with the words Hebrew: ה 'ניסי, lit. 'The Lord-is-my-banner' (Exodus 17:15). The synagogue also includes a series of twelve stained glass windows symbolising the Tribes of Israel.[2]

The choir is separated from the assembly by a balustrade and the bimah.

Every year, the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah, a ceremony in remembrance of the Martyrs of the Deportation takes place, that is televised on France 2.

Notable members

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Miscellaneous

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In November 2013, French baritone David Serero performed a concert in the synagogue.[9]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Base Mérimée: Synagogue, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  2. ^ a b c "Grande Synagogue de Paris". Paris je t'aime: Tourist Office. 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Home page". Grand Synagogue de Paris. n.d. Retrieved 8 September 2016.[self-published source?]
  4. ^ "Le Marais Jewish quarter: Synagogues and Jewish Culture". ParisMarais. n.d. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Goldenberg, Flora (2024). "Visit Grand Synagogue of Paris". Jewish Tours Paris. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Siting the synagogue: Grand Synagogue, Paris". The Life of the Synagogue. College of Charleston. 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Meyer Jaïs: Grand Rabbin de Paris (1907 - 1993)". Judaïsme. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Meyer Jais". Detroit Jewish News. 8 May 1993. p. 125. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  9. ^ "La Victoire: Concert Exceptionnel de David Sereno". Le Consistoire de Paris. 28 November 2013.
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