Ancient Synagogue of Shfaram

Ancient Synagogue of Shfaram
  • Hebrew: בית הכנסת בשפרעם;
  • Arabic: شفا عمرو كنيس
The former synagogue, in 2010
Ancient Synagogue of Shfaram is located in Haifa region of Israel
Ancient Synagogue of Shfaram
Location of the former synagogue in the Haifa District
Religion
AffiliationJudaism (former)
Synagogue
(17th century–1970s)
StatusInactive
Location
LocationShfaram, Haifa District, Northern Israel
Coordinates32°48′22″N 35°10′14″E / 32.806148°N 35.17042°E / 32.806148; 35.17042
Architecture
TypeSynagogue architecture
Completed17th century

The Ancient Synagogue of Shfaram (Hebrew: בית הכנסת בשפרעם; Arabic: شفا عمرو كنيس) is a former ancient synagogue, located in the Israeli-Arab city of Shfaram, in Northern Israel.

History

The synagogue was built in the 17th century, atop the ruins of an ancient synagogue that had been built on a site where, according to tradition, the Sanhedrin had once sat. The synagogue fell into ruin, but during the mid-18th century, Bedouin chieftain Zahir al-Umar gave permission to the Jews to return and renovate the synagogue there.

Shfaram was noted in 1845 by Rabbi Joseph Schwarz in his book Descriptive Geography and Brief Historical Sketch of Palestine as having "about thirty Jewish families who have an old synagogue". Jews lived in Shfaram until the 1970s when the community disbanded. Subsequently, the building fell into disrepair and was only recently renovated. Although being abandoned, the keys to the former house of worship are held by a local Muslim and the synagogue is treated with respect by the local Arabs.

In November 2006 the building was rededicated after works to renovate the synagogue were carried out voluntarily by a group of newly qualified police officers. At the ceremony, Shfaram mayor Ursan Yassin retold how that during the October riots he had been forced to physically protect the location and had told local youngsters who wanted to burn it down that they could set him alight, but he would not allow them to harm the synagogue. There were however reports of damage to religious artifacts in the ancient synagogue on October 9, 2000; and desecration of the synagogue's exterior in 2013.

In May 2014, members of Shfaram's school youth leadership group and thecoalition Shutafut-Sharakah (Jewish-Arab) cleaned and repaired the synagogue, in response to a series of price tag attacks by Jewish extremists in the region. The organisers called on the government to take a firmer stand against such attacks. Jewish visitors collect the key from the Jafari family.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Variously known as Shefa-Amr, Shefa-‘Amr, Shafa-Amar, or Shfar'am.
  2. ↑ In Shfaram most of the 25,000 residents are Arab, and the town was signaled out by the Simon Wiesenthal Center as a living example of religious tolerance: Shfaram’s historic synagogue, long empty and without Torah scrolls and prayer books, is still treated by its Christian, Muslim, and Druze neighbors as a sacred communal trust. To this day, the keys to the former house of worship are held, by a local Muslim housewife.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dónzis, Aron (May 4, 2014). "Arab, Jewish youth combat 'price tag' with paint". The Times of Israel. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ancient Synagogue in Shfaram". Israel Ministry of Tourism.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. 1 2 "News Releases: September 12, 2005" (Press release). Simon Wiesenthal Center. September 12, 2005. Archived from the original on November 26, 2005. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  4. ↑ Ashkenasi, Dovid (November 16, 2006). "Shfaram shul renovated". Jewish Tribune. United Kingdom. p. 9.
  5. ↑ Bedein, David (April 13, 2007). "Arab Resigns Knesset Post". The Bulletin. Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
  6. ↑ Hedges, Chris (October 10, 2000). "WHOSE HOLY LAND? ISRAELI VS. ISRAELI; Crowds of Jews Rampage in Nazareth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

Media related to Ancient synagogue in Shefa-'Amr at Wikimedia Commons