A document beloning to Salomon Ben Ezra, who died in 1688, mentions that Muslim Turks prayed in the only existing synagogue of Izmir. The period mentioned in this document is thought to coincide with the period of the Turkish conquest of Izmir and that they prayed in this synagogue since there was no mosque in the city.
This synagogue, surviving through the dangers of fire and earthquakes many times, was damaged in the fire of 1841 and Daniel de Sidi had it repaired in 1851.
The synagogue originally built in a central plan. Inspired by European synagogue architecture, in the early twentieth century, the Tevah was moved from the center to the sides of the Ehal.
Archives: Directory listings
Directory listings
Portuguese Synagogue
The Portuguese Synagogue is the only synagogue in Izmir which identifies the origin of its founders. It is one of the six synagogues known to have existed in the period of Chief Rabbi Joseph Escapa, i.e., as of 1620s, and is referred to be the largest synagogue in Izmir in that period.
Portuguese Synagogue, considered to be the fortress of the anti-Sabbataists, closed its gates to Sabbatai Zvi when his movement expanded. On the other hand, Sabbatai and his supporters entered the synagogue by breaking the gates and chased away the rabbis who were the leaders of their opponents. Salomon Algazi, one of the founders of Algazi Synagogue, was among them.
When Sabbatai Zvi declared himself as the Messiah of the Jews and 18th June 1666 as the deliverance day in that raid, Portuguese Synagogue became the headquarters of the Sabbataist movement and a large group of the Jews of Izmir joined the movement.
Portuguese Synagogue was burnt in 1976 and restored in 2018, to serve as a social activities center.
Bet Hillel Synagogue
Bet Hillel Synagogue was established in the house of the Palachi family. Rabbi Hayim Palachi (1788-1869) and his son Rabbi Abraham Palachi (1809-1899) were the most prominent theologians of the Izmir Jewish community in the 19th century. Both being referred to as the greatest men of the period, their reputation went beyond Izmir and the Ottoman Empire then, causing the Jewish theologues of Europe and Middle East to come to Izmir for consultation.
Rabbi Hayim Palachi wrote a total of 72 books all through his life, and of these, 26 books were published. He was awarded the “theologian responsible for justice” in 1861 by the Sultan Abdulmecid.
Along with the tomb of Rabbi Hayim Palachi and the Mikveh (purification pool) in the Gurcesme cemetery, Bet Hillel Synagogue is believed to be among the holy places by Palachi’s students.
Bikur Holim Synagogue
In 1724, Salomon de Ciaves, a Portuguese originned Dutch immigrant to Izmir, donated one of his houses which had a large courtyard, to be used as a synagogue and ensured the purchase of all the religious books and sacred objects required. He also granted some houses and shops adjacent in order to bring some revenue to the synagogue.
At first known as the “Ciaves Synagogue”, it started to be called as the Bikur Holim Synagogue. This new name, meaning visiting the sick, dates to the periods when the basement of the synagogue was used as a hospital during a plague or cholera epidemics, then frequently seen in the city.
It is also possible that the said basement was once the Bet Din prison. Burnt in 1772, the synagogue was rebuilt in 1800 by Manuel de Ciaves of the same family.
With a central Tevah, ceiling decorated with flower and fruit designs embellished columns painted in green and yellow, this synagogue is one of the most beautiful places of worship in Izmir.
Dampalo Jewish Graveyard in Tbilisi
Nowadays, Tbilisi Jews bury their relatives at the Dampalo Graveyard, which is quite far from the center of the city and the city’s two functioning synagogues, specifically located on the outskirts of Tbilisi Varketili. The name “Dampalo” is related to the unsanitary condition which emerged because of the tradition of killing animals in the district. The graveyard is maintained by the city and members of Tbilisi’s Jewish community.
Ashkenazi Graveyard in Tbilisi
The Jewish Graveyard in Samgori Tbilisi is closed nowadays to new burials. Its activation is connected to the arrival of Ashkenazi Jews in Georgia in the XIX century. Many famous personalities from the Jewish Diaspora, including the grandmother of the former Israeli Premier Minister Ariel Sharon, are buried there.
Jewish Library in National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
Jewish library is located in the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia; books which are stored in the library were bought by “Sarah Fond ” with the “Israeli House”. These books in Hebrew, English and Russion are dedicated to the oldest and modern history of Israel, Zionism, Judaism, theology, foreign affairs of Israel. Among the books there are textbooks for learning Hebrew. On the day of the opening Hanukkah candle was lit and among the guests there were members of the Knesset. Giorgi Kekelidze, the director of the library, gave a speech at the ceremony.
Royal District Theatre
This synagogue, located on Abesadze street, Tbilisi, is now functioning as the Royal District Theatre. In 1887, Jewish community of Tbilisi started collecting funds to construct a new synagogue on the land of the existing one. The construction process started in 1903. The synagogue was solemnly opened in 1918, however in 1923 it was closed. In 1928 the Committee for Helping The Neediest Jews started using the building. In 1932, the former synagogue was transformed into Jewish Culture House. The Royal District Theatre has been functioning in this building since 1997. The building has the status of cultural heritage. Despite the fact that, in 2001, the court granted Jewish community co-ownership of the building, the court decision has never been enforced.
David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia
The David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia, located on 3 Anton Catholicos St, Tbilisi, is a principal museum of the Jewish history and culture. It was established on 30 November of 1932 by the board of Garebcom as a department organization – in a cult-base of Jewish workers. It was officially established on 23 November of 1933 – demanded by the social commissariat of Georgian education. The building is built by brick; from outside it has multiple angles, while inside is round. The museum has many exhibits and rarities: archeological, ethnographic, historical, epigraphic, manuscript, printed, artistic, archives, photographs, etc. The museum has published important scientific works for Kartvelology/Georgian studies and 9 volumes of Hebrew studies. Expeditions are held by the museum in different parts of Georgia, exhibitions, international scientific conferences dedicated to the issues of the history of Georgian Jews, Georgian-Jewish and Georgian-Palestinian relations.
Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts
The Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, located in Tbilisi, Georgia, is a repository of ancient manuscripts, of historical documents and of the private archives by eminent public figures. One of the most significant manuscripts kept in the museum is the Lailashi Bible, which was found in Lailashi village by Giorgi Tsereteli. The manuscript was brought to Georgia in the 1940s and was kept in the Museum of History of Jews until 1951. Since 1957 the manuscript has been kept in the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts. The Lailashi Bible represents a handwritten version of Torah, accompanied with comments and colorful geometrical decorative figures. It’s also unique due to the fact that it had Jewish inscriptions and some of the geometrical decorations are colorful. The manuscript is written on parchment and is an old testament with masoretic text, which tells us a story of the first humans, the first sin and its consequences, the despature from heaven and the multiplication of humankind, but the Lailashi Bible is considered unexplored due to an assumption that it lacks sixteen pages. A paleographic analysis of the manuscript makes it possible to suggest that it belongs to the X-XI centuries. The manuscript weighs 10 Kilos. There are very few Torahs, around the world, that are made in such a way, mostly Torah is written on a scroll, while the Lailashi bible is a book, which makes it very rare for this period. The book is broken up at the moment, it is bound and doesn’t have a cover, since it needs restoration. The Lailashi bible has always been the center of attention, even criminals were interested in it and attempted to steal it in the 90s. The guard of The Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts was offered 50,000 dollars for the manuscript, but the guard did not give in.
