Avraham Avinu Synagogue
| Abraham Avinu Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| File:Hébron Synagogue Avraham Avinou.jpg
Interior, 2008
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Jewish Quarter Hebron, West Bank |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Completed | 1540 |
The Abraham Avinu Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת על שם אברהם אבינו) was built by Hakham Malkiel Ashkenazi in the Jewish Quarter of Hebron[1] in 1540.[2] The domed structure represented the physical center of the Jewish Quarter of Hebron, and became the spiritual center of the Jewish Community there and a major center for the study of Kabalah.[2] It was restored in 1738 and enlarged in 1864.
The Synagogue stood empty since the 1929 Hebron massacre[3] and was destroyed after 1948.[4]
Jordan took control of the area in 1948, and after this time a wholesale market, trash dump and public toilet were placed on the site of the Jewish Quarter. According to Wellesley College historian Jerold Auerbach, a goat and donkey pen was placed on the ruins of the Synagogue.[5] The adjacent, "Kabbalists' Courtyard", was turned into an abattoir.[5]
When Israel won control over the West Bank after the Six Day War in 1967, a gradual return of Jews took place to the Jewish Quarter in Hebron. In 1971 the Israeli Government approved the rebuilding of the synagogue, courtyard and adjoining buildings.[6] Work on the restoration was underway in 1976.[3]
Today, the rebuilt synagogue is used each Friday night by the Jewish residents of Hebron to hold prayer services. The synagogue is also open to visitors each day of the week so they can learn about the history of the synagogue, and hold private services.
The synagogue was named after a popular story in which one year, a search for 10th person for a minyan for Kol Nidrei of Yom Kippur was futile, when on sunset an old man appeared who was welcomed by the community. After Ne'ila service, the stranger vanished then later came in the dream of one of the community members and identified himself as "Abraham the Hebrew, your father, whose body rests in the cave of Machpelah...". In honor of the visit of the righteous they named the new synagogue 'Avraham Avinu'.[2]
References
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Bibliography
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External links
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