Or Thora Synagogue (Tunis)

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Or Thora Synagogue
Orthoratunis.jpg
The Or Thora Synagogue in 2015.
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
StatusAbandoned
Location
LocationTunis, Tunisia
Architecture
Architect(s)
Completed1930s

The Or-Thora Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת אור תורה; Arabic: كنيس أور تورا بتونس) is a synagogue located in the Hara (old city) of the city of Tunis.

History[]

It was completed in the early 1930s, prior to World War II.[1] It was designed by architects and .[1] Habib Bourguiba, who served as the President of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987, visited the synagogue on February 12, 1957.[1]

Decline[]

After the departure of most of the Tunisian Jews for Israel and France following the anti-Jewish riots during the Six-Day War,[2] which included the burning of the Torah Scrolls at the synagogue,[3] religious services stopped being offered at the synagogue. It is currently not in use.[4][5]

There are ongoing discussions among the Tunisian Jewish community and the residents of the Hafsia to turn the Or-Thora Synagogue into a museum of the Hara,[6][7] with a project led by [8] and a team of architects from the NGO Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis, with the aim to save the synagogue from total degradation.

Door of the Or-Thora synagogue.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Bismuth-Jarrassé, Colette; Jarrassé, Dominique (2010). Synagogues de Tunisie : monuments d'une histoire et d'une identité. Le Kremlin-Bicêtre: Esthétiques du divers. pp. 268–269. ISBN 9782953304121. OCLC 673784241.
  2. ^ Jews in Islamic Countries: Tunisia. Jewish Virtual Library
  3. ^ The Jews in Islam - Tunisia
  4. ^ INSIDE THE ABANDONED OR THORA SYNAGOGUE OF HAFSIA
  5. ^ Or Thora (Nuevelle Hovra) Synagogue and School, Hafsia, Tunis, Tunisia
  6. ^ בית הכנסת חוברה (החדשה) RUE ACHOUR 35 (אור תורה). תוניסיה מורשת
  7. ^ Et si la synagogue de la Hafsia devenait le musée de la hara?
  8. ^ Muslim locals seek Tunis synagogue revival to honor once vibrant Jewish quarter. i24News

See also[]

Coordinates: 36°48′05″N 10°10′11″E / 36.801463°N 10.169655°E / 36.801463; 10.169655


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