Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (Cairo)

The Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (lit. Gate of Heaven) is located in Cairo, Egypt. The synagogue was also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue.

Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue
בית כנסת שער השמים‎
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteSephardic
StatusActive on High Holidays
Location
Location17 Adly Street, Cairo
Cairo, Egypt
Geographic coordinates30°3′5″N 31°14′37″E
Architecture
Architect(s)Maurice Youssef Cattaui, Eduard Matasek[1]
Completed1899

Its long-time leader was Chief Rabbi Chaim Nahum. In 2008, the synagogue marked its 100th anniversary.[2] The synagogue was built in a style evoking ancient Egyptian temples, and was once the largest building on the boulevard.[3]

When the synagogue opened in 1899, there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s.[2] Today the community numbers 6 members, most of them older women.[2]

Although it is considered a Sephardic synagogue, many Ashkenazi Jews were members of the congregation and contributed to its construction and upkeep.[4]

In February 2010, a booby-trapped suitcase was hurled at the synagogue from a nearby hotel. The suitcase caught fire, but no one was hurt and no damage was reported.[3]

See also

References
  1. Raafat, Samir (2 September 1999). "Gates of Heaven". Cairo Times.
  2. Stern, Yoav. Cairo Synagogue marks 100 years of grandeur and decline, Haaretz, 04-11-2007. Retrieved on 2011-03-22.
  3. Bomb hurled at main synagogue in Cairo
  4. Egypt Landmarks Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

Rivka Ulmer, “The Sha‘ar Ha-Shamayim Synagogue (Keniset Isma‘iliyah,) in Cairo, Egypt,” in Maven in Blue Jeans: A Festschrift in Honor of Zev Garber (Shofar Suppl.; West Lafayette, in: Purdue University Press, 2009), 431-40.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.