The Churvah Synagogue

Historical Background

The history of the largest and most beautiful synagogue in the Old City began in 1701 when the great sage Rabbi Yehudah Hechassid and his followers came to settle in Jerusalem from Poland. They bought a desolate plot of land (or churvah) and began building a synagogue. Possibly this is the origin of its name. The rabbi died but his followers continued financing the project through loans from Jerusalem Moslems. They were unable to repay the loans, and in 1721 the creditors burned the synagogue to the ground.

For many years it was left in ruins - a churvah (ruins). In 1864 it was rebuilt to become a most beautiful synagogue and for generations was the centre of Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem.

During the War of Independence in 1948, the last remaining Jews in the Old City outnumbered by the Jordanian Arab Legion, sought shelter in the Churvah, and its roof became a key position in the struggle for control of the Jewish Quarter . The Arabs succeeded in blowing a hole in the massive stone wall. The Jews were forced to surrender and the synagogue was razed to the ground. For a second time in its history the Churvah had been destroyed. Today a single restored arch marks its site.

Location

The Churvah Synagogue is located in the Old City near Rechov Hayehudim.

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