Pazardzhik Great Synagogue (, ), Pazardzhik Small Synagogue (, ) are non-functioning

synagogues A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

located in

Pazardzhik Pazardzhik ( bg, Пазарджик ) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality. The Tatars founded Pazardzhik in t ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

History of the Jews in Pazardzhik

The earliest record of

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

in Pazardzhik was in 1580 mentioned in an Ottoman register. In 1614, there were 7 households. That number grew to 10 between 1635 and to 41 between 1696-1697. Around 1888, the Jews were 1,277, the highest number in the history of Jews in the city. In 1945, the Jews were up to 826 (303 males, 322 females, 201 children). Their main occupations were trading and carpentry. There were 121 traders, 36 craftsmen and 35 clerks. There were many

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

political organizations established in the autumn of 1944, such as ''Dr. M. Nahamzon'' and ''

WIZO The Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO; he, ויצו ') is a volunteer organization dedicated to social welfare in all sectors of Israeli society, the advancement of the status of women, and Jewish education in Israel and the Diasp ...

''. The biggest one was Nahamzon, which united other Zionist organizations.

Great Synagogue

The larger and older synagogue was built in 1850. Its architect is Stavri Temelkov, a part of the

Bratsigovo Bratsigovo ( bg, Брацигово ) is a town in Southern Bulgaria. It is located in the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains, on the banks of the Umishka River in Pazardzhik oblast, and is close to the towns of Peshtera and Krichim. Bratsigov ...

architect school. It is believed that there was a previous synagogue in the same location constructed in the 17th century and burnt in the first half of the 19th century. Due to the mass emigration of Jews in Bulgaria, the synagogue is left to be not used for their intended purpose. In 1972, the synagogue is closed and used by the regional museum. In 1979, it was completely renovated and then brought back to the Jewish community in Pazardzhik.

Small Synagogue

The smaller synagogue was constructed in 1872. From 1954 to 1979, the synagogue was used as a library for the local historical museum.Encyclopedia Pazardzhik, p. 300

References

Bibliography

* {{Pazardzhik Structures in Pazardzhik Synagogues in Bulgaria Sephardi Jewish culture in Bulgaria Sephardi synagogues