The Bet Israel Synagogue, also known as the Beit Israel Synagogue, is a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

located at 265 Mithatpaşa Street, in the Turgut Reis neighbourhood, in the

Karataş Karataş (Turkish language, Turkish for ''black stone'') is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Adana Province, Turkey. Its area is 862 km2, and its population is 23,499 (2022). The town itself has 10,293 inhabitants. It is o ...

quarter of the city of

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

, in the

İzmir Province İzmir Province () is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey in western Anatolia, situated along the Aegean coast. Its capital is the city of İzmir, which is in itself composed of the province's central 11 districts out of 30 in to ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The synagogue was completed in 1907 and is the largest synagogue in the city, the other major synagogue being the Shaar Hashamaym Synagogue.

History

İzmir's Jewish community was granted state permission to build the synagogue in 1905; it opened two years later. After 1908, Rabbi Abraham Palacci served as the synagogue's

hazzan A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' (, plural ; ; ) is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this prayer leader is often referred to as a cantor, a term al ...

. The synagogue was renovated in 1954. On April 4, 2019, an attacker threw a Molotov cocktail at the synagogue. Falling on the sidewalk, the bomb did not destroy the synagogue. The attacker claimed that they were trying to protest the state of Israel. A prominent member of the ruling

Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...

immediately condemned the attack. The official said, "There is no difference between attacks targeting synagogues, churches and mosques; they all target social peace with their hate." İzmir's Jewish community praised local law enforcement for their quick action.

References

External links

1907 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 20th-century synagogues in Turkey 21st-century attacks on Jewish institutions Konak District Synagogue buildings with domes Synagogues completed in 1907 Synagogues in İzmir Arson in Turkey Arson in 2019 Attacks on religious buildings and structures in Turkey Attacks on buildings and structures in Izmir 2019 fires in Asia {{Turkey-synagogue-stub

History

See also

References

External links