The Grand Synagogue of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

(french: Grande Synagogue de Paris), generally known as Synagogue de la Victoire ( en, Synagogue of Victory) or Grande Synagogue de la Victoire ( en, Grand Synagogue of Victory), is situated at 44,

Rue de la Victoire The rue de la Victoire is a street in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The former name of the street was "rue Chantereine", which means "singing frogs", after the many frogs in the area as the quarter was swampy. The street took the name "rue de l ...

, in the 9th arrondissement. It also serves as the official seat of the

chief rabbi Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...

of Paris.

History

The architect was

Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe (7 February 1834 – 29 October 1895) was a French architect. Biography Born in Paris, he worked on the Great Exhibitions held in the city in 1855 and 1867. As the architect of the Consistory of Paris, in 1867 he began ...

(1834–1895) who also built the Versailles Synagogue and that of

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and a well-to-do suburb of Paris, developed i ...

. Building commenced in 1867 and the Synagogue was inaugurated in 1874, and opened to the general public in 1875, built in the classical style, but embellished with

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

frills. The inscription in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

at the entrance is a verse from

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

28,17 : "This is none other than the House of God, the very gateway to Heaven", the same as is found on the entrance to the synagogue of

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded b ...

and that of

Bar-le-Duc Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France. The lower, more modern and busier part of the town extends along a narrow valley, ...

. The interior has a number of religious inscriptions above the doors. In the choir pulpit is written in French the names of the prophets. Above the

Torah Ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...

is engraved with the words "ה 'ניסי" ("The Lord-is-my-banner" Ex 17:15) It also includes a series of 12 stained glass windows symbolising the

Tribes of Israel The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, thro ...

. The choir is separated from the assembly by a balustrade and the bimah. Every year, the Sunday before

Rosh Hashanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , ...

(Jewish New Year), there takes place a ceremony in remembrance of the Martyrs of the Deportation, which is televised on

France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 A ...

Miscellaneous

On April 21, 1890,

Alfred Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus ( , also , ; 9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French artillery officer of Jewish ancestry whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most polarizing political dramas in modern French history. ...

married Lucie Hadamard in the synagogue. The ceremony was officiated by the

Chief Rabbi of France Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...

Zadoc Kahn Zadoc Kahn (18 February 1839 in Mommenheim, Alsace – 8 December 1905 in Paris) was an Alsatian-French rabbi and chief rabbi of France. Life In 1856 he entered the rabbinical school of Metz, finishing his theological studies at the same ...

, a future 'Dreyfusard' who advocated for Dreyfus' freedom. In 1955, Meyer Jaïs (also written "Meir" Jaïs) became the first Sephardic chief rabbi of Paris and thus head of the Grand Synagogue. The French organist Ernest Cahen played the Merklin organ of the synagogue. In November 2013, French baritone David Serero performed a concert there.

Gallery

File:Paris Synagogue de la Victoire 681.jpg File:Synagogue Paris Victoire.jpg, Interior of the Synagogue. Photo courtesy of the

Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on th ...

File:PA00089001 - Synagogue de Paris (rosace).jpg,

References

External links

* {{Authority control Synagogues in Paris Orthodox synagogues in France Buildings and structures in the 9th arrondissement of Paris Synagogues completed in 1874 1874 establishments in France