Beth Yaacov Synagogue (Madrid) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beth Yaacov Synagogue |
|
|---|---|
|
Sinagoga Beth Yaacov
|
|
View of the Jewish Community of Madrid (CJM) building, which houses the synagogue (2006)
|
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sephardic Judaism |
| District | Chamberí |
| Year consecrated | 1968 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Madrid, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Synagogue |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Groundbreaking | 1964 |
| Completed | 1968 |
The Beth Yaacov Synagogue (also known as the Synagogue of Madrid) is an important synagogue located in Madrid, Spain. It opened in 1968. This was a very special event because it was the first new synagogue built in Spain since 1492. That year, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain had ordered all Jewish people to leave the country.
Contents
A Look Back at the Synagogue's Story
Jewish Life Returns to Spain
Jewish communities began to form again in Spain's big cities in the late 1800s. By the time of World War I, these groups became more organized. The Jewish Community of Madrid (CJM) officially started in 1917. They used a synagogue called Midras Abordonel. It was the first Jewish place of worship in Spain since 1492, but it was in an older building.
After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, the government closed the synagogue in Madrid. This was part of a time when the government was very strict about different groups.
The community moved to a new place in 1949. Ten years later, they moved again to Calle de Pizarro.
By the late 1960s, the Jewish community in Madrid was growing fast. In 1967, Spain passed a law that gave non-Catholics, including Jews, full religious rights. Also, after the Six-Day War in 1967, many Jewish people from Morocco moved to Spain. This included Yehuda Benasouli, who would later become the Chief Rabbi of Madrid.
Building a New Home
In 1959, the Jewish community in Madrid received permission to open an official synagogue. Before this, they had been meeting in a private home. In 1964, Jewish communities in Spain were officially recognized by the government. That same year, the Jewish communities in Madrid and Barcelona created a special council. Soon after, construction began on the new synagogue building in Madrid.
The building was designed by a Spanish architect. It had a main prayer area that could seat 550 people. It also had space for classes, social events, and community activities. The total cost was about $250,000. Money came from the local community and from Jewish organizations in other countries.
The prayer area has special Hebrew writings on its walls. These designs were inspired by an old synagogue in Toledo.
Early Years of the Synagogue
On December 16, 1968, the Beth Yaacov Synagogue officially opened. It is located on Balmes Street in the Chamberí area of Madrid. About 600 people attended the opening ceremony, including Jewish leaders from around the world. It was the first new synagogue built in Spain since 1492.
On the same day, the Spanish government officially canceled the old law from 1492 that had forced Jewish people to leave Spain. A letter about this was read at the synagogue. This meant Jewish people no longer needed special permission from the government to hold religious services. The synagogue would serve the city's 2,500 Jewish residents.
In 1972, the synagogue was damaged by some people who held extreme views.
In June 1976, Queen Sofia visited the synagogue for a Shabbat service. This was a very important moment. It was the first time in modern Spanish history that a member of the royal family had visited a Jewish place of worship. It was also Queen Sofia's first public appearance after her husband, Juan Carlos I, became the King of Spain.
From 1990 to Today
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia visited the synagogue again on March 31, 1992. This visit marked 500 years since the old law that expelled Jews from Spain. The king wore a white yarmulke (a small cap) and prayed for peace with about 250 people. This was seen as a big step towards friendship and understanding.
While Queen Sofia had visited before, this was the first time a Spanish king had visited a Jewish place of worship in modern times. The Spanish royals were joined by Israeli President Chaim Herzog and other important officials from Israel and Spain.
Since 1997, Moshe Bendahan has been the Chief Rabbi of Madrid and the leader of the Beth Yaacov Synagogue. His family moved from Morocco in 1964. He began his work as a rabbi in Spain in 1986, the same year Spain and Israel started official diplomatic relations.
The Beth Yaacov Synagogue is the main Orthodox synagogue for the Jewish community of Madrid (CJM). The building also holds the CJM's offices, the rabbi's office, a special bath called a mikveh, and a history museum.
As of 2012, the Beth Yaacov Synagogue was one of seven synagogues serving Madrid's Jewish community, which had about 20,000 members.
In 2021, a man was arrested for drawing a hateful symbol on a protective barrier outside the synagogue.
Images for kids
-
The synagogue's entrance door
-
Close up of the entrance door
See also
In Spanish: Sinagoga de Madrid para niños
- Monument to the Victims of the Holocaust (Madrid)
