Great Synagogue of La Victoire

Welcome to the Great synagogue of Paris. Also known as « La Victoire synagogue », it is the largest synagogue in France, and impresses every visitor by its spectacular dimensions and sheer magnificence. Built in 1874 by the chief architect of the city of Paris, Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe, with the financial support of the Rothschild family, the synagogue provided Parisian jews with a place of worship that reflected the community’s tremendous demographic, economic and cultural development at the end of the 19th century. It can seat over 1,800 people, and since its inception, services have been conducted according to the Ashkenazi-Alsacian tradition.
La Victoire synagogue has been at the center of Parisian Jewish life for over 135 years, during which it has witnessed every twist and turn in the community’s history, including tragic events such as the Dreyfus affair, or the deportations during the Holocaust. After the war, much effort has been made to preserve its religious, artistic and cultural heritage, and today, La Victoire is more than ever at the forefront of Jewish life in France. It serves as a setting for all official ceremonies with members of the government; it is also the official seat of the Chief Rabbi of France, where he is formally introduced.