A Tour of the
Synagogue Building

The synagogue building does not stand out or catch the eye of passersby on Ben Yehuda Street, in Tel aviv and at first sight nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. However, anybody who makes the effort to walk further along the path leading to the synagogue will come across a unique, historic building - one that combines old with new and holds a wealth of stories. As part of the renovation, the synagogue will be reinforced and adapted to meet the ever-changing needs, safeguarding the memories and feelings that are hidden there. It takes just a few moments for anybody entering the synagogue hall to feel the special atmosphere. Wooden seats and the synagogue floor reflect an older style that accurately captures the spirit of this special place which has been around for almost 90 years.

In the War of Independence, many of the synagogue-goers and their relatives fought on the battlefield, providing a genuine indication of the considerable degree of involvement of the synagogue-goers in the life of the community at that time. A monument to the fallen soldiers of the War of Independence was set up years ago on the southern wall, adjacent to the synagogue entrance, and among those memorialized there are some of the fallen heroes from the Convoy of 35 (known in Hebrew as the “Lamed Hey”), the fallen from the battle of Kis Fallujah, Har Adar (Radar Hill), to name just a few. This is how the inscription at the base of the memorial plaque puts it: “We shall proudly preserve the memory of our sons – our heroes who founded the State of Israel with their blood.”
‍
Staff Sergeant Gad Noys’ name has been added to the bottom of the plaque. Gad fell in the Yom Kippur War, and his father, Asher Noys, who also fought in the British Army during the Second World War, was a regular synagogue-goer. As time went by and the number of fallen soldiers and deceased members increased, the names of the synagogue's fallen were engraved together with those elderly community members who passed away on plaques along its northern wall.

Along the eastern wall, above the Aron Hakodesh, there is a round window. At a certain point during the day, this window allows light to enter, fully illuminating the entire synagogue hall.

The synagogue's second floor, which was added during the sixties (and formerly was an open balcony), is used by the Kollel. The synagogue library contains numerous books, for the use of the avrechim at the Kollel and for the general public to use in their own individual Torah study. This continues the longstanding tradition of Torah study in the synagogue, which began in the days when it housed the Geonei Volozhin Yeshiva on the first floor.A rich kiddush is held there every Shabbat and holiday, attended by hundreds of people.

In the corner of the synagogue there is a room that was used in the past as a gemach (community charity fund). This gemach supported the neighborhood's needy from the late thirties (Jewish refugees from Europe), and was later a source of sustenance for the local poor families.

The synagogue bimah (raised Torah reading platform) houses a unique book: A large handwritten memorial date book. The book commemorates the veteran members of the synagogue, and alongside them feature familiar figures from the history of the State of Israel. So, together with gabbaim and synagogue-goers, Binyamin Ze’ev ben R. Ya’akov (better known as Herzl), Prof. Chaim ben Ozer (Chaim Weizmann, the first president) and others appear in the book, all written in ornate handwriting, alongside the names of their parents, receiving the honor and respect they deserve.

The unique synagogue building, whose gradual development is depicted in the relevant construction file in the Tel Aviv municipality – from the British Mandate to the present day – tells a unique and intriguing story. On a piece of land originally destined to be a park in a small northern neighborhood in Tel Aviv, a vibrant community center was erected, with prayers, Torah study and ambitions, of which every wall and room has a story to tell – of days past, of painful and happy memories intertwined, of a living, current reality, a renewed community with a fresh lease on life – and also of dreams for the future. Renovation of the synagogue is one of our dreams. This renovation will clearly take into account the fact that this is a building steeped in history. As such, it will need to preserve the memories, the atmosphere and spirit of the synagogue, while tending to the changing needs with the necessary sensitivity, reinforcing the foundations and adapting the synagogue, which was originally built in the nineteen thirties, to the twenty-first century. We kindly call on you to take an active part in realizing this dream and supporting the planned renovation
of the synagogue.