Or Thora Synagogue
The Or Thora Synagogue in 2015.
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
StatusAbandoned
Location
LocationTunis, Tunisia
Architecture
Architect(s)Aimé Krief
Jean Sebag
Completed1930s

The Or-Thora Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת אור תורה; Arabic: كنيس أور تورا بتونس) is a synagogue located in the Hara (old city) of the city of Tunis.

History

It was completed in the early 1930s, prior to World War II.[1] It was designed by architects Aimé Krief and Jean Sebag.[1] Habib Bourguiba, who served as the President of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987, visited the synagogue on February 12, 1957.[1]

Decline

After the departure of most of the Tunisian Jews for Israel and France following the anti-Jewish riots during the Six-Day War,[2] which included the burning of the Torah Scrolls at the synagogue,[3] religious services stopped being offered at the synagogue. It is currently not in use.[4][5]

There are ongoing discussions among the Tunisian Jewish community and the residents of the Hafsia to turn the Or-Thora Synagogue into a museum of the Hara,[6][7] with a project led by Leila Ben Gacem[8] and a team of architects from the NGO Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis, with the aim to save the synagogue from total degradation.

Door of the Or-Thora synagogue.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bismuth-Jarrassé, Colette; Jarrassé, Dominique (2010). Synagogues de Tunisie : monuments d'une histoire et d'une identité. Le Kremlin-Bicêtre: Esthétiques du divers. pp. 268–269. ISBN 9782953304121. OCLC 673784241.
  2. Jews in Islamic Countries: Tunisia. Jewish Virtual Library
  3. The Jews in Islam - Tunisia
  4. INSIDE THE ABANDONED OR THORA SYNAGOGUE OF HAFSIA
  5. Or Thora (Nuevelle Hovra) Synagogue and School, Hafsia, Tunis, Tunisia
  6. בית הכנסת חוברה (החדשה) RUE ACHOUR 35 (אור תורה). תוניסיה מורשת
  7. Et si la synagogue de la Hafsia devenait le musée de la hara?
  8. Muslim locals seek Tunis synagogue revival to honor once vibrant Jewish quarter. i24News

See also

36°48′05″N 10°10′11″E / 36.801463°N 10.169655°E / 36.801463; 10.169655


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