Old New Synagogue

Coordinates: 50°05′24″N 14°25′07″E / 50.09000°N 14.41861°E / 50.09000; 14.41861
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Old New Synagogue
Yiddish: אַלטנוי שול
Hebrew: בית הכנסת ישן-חדש
View from the west
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteAshkenazi
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusActive
Location
LocationPrague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Architecture
StyleGothic
Completed1270; 754 years ago (1270)
Website
The Old-New Synagogue in Prague

The Old New Synagogue (

oldest surviving medieval synagogue of twin-nave design.[2]

Completed in 1270, it was one of

Old Synagogue, was demolished in 1867 and replaced by the Spanish Synagogue
.

Etymology

The synagogue was originally called the New or Great Synagogue and later, when newer synagogues were built in the 16th century, it became known as the Old-New Synagogue.[2] Another explanation derives the name from the Hebrew עַל תְּנַאי (al tnay), which means "on condition" and sounds identical to the Yiddish "alt-nay," or old-new. According to legend angels have brought stones from the Temple in Jerusalem to build the Synagogue in Prague—"on condition" that they are to be returned, when the Messiah comes, i.e., when the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt and the stones are needed.[4]

Interior

View of the Synagogue interior with the "Jewish Flag" at left.
View of the "Jewish Flag"
Close up of the "Jewish Flag" with the "Jewish Hat"

Nine steps lead from the street into a vestibule, from which a door opens into a double-

twelve tribes of Israel.[6] Two large pillars aligned east to west in the middle of the room each support the interior corner of four bays.[7] The bays have two narrow Gothic windows on the sides, for a total of twelve, again representing the twelve tribes. The narrow windows are probably responsible for many older descriptions of the building as being dark; it is now brightly lit with several electric chandeliers
.

The vaulting on the six bays has five ribs instead of the typical four or six. It has been suggested that this was an attempt to avoid associations with the Christian cross. Many scholars dispute this theory, pointing to synagogues that have quadripartite ribs, and Christian buildings that have the unusual five rib design.[8]

The

Ark and two round stained glass windows on either side above it. A lectern
in front of the ark has a square well a few inches below the main floor for the service leader to stand in.

The twelve lancet windows in the synagogue, which directed light towards the bimah, apparently led members to compare the structure with Solomon's Temple.[6]

The synagogue follows orthodox custom, with separate seating for men and women during prayer services. Women sit in an outer room with small windows looking into the main sanctuary. The framework of the roof, the gable, and the party wall date from the Middle Ages.

An unusual feature found in the nave of this synagogue is a large red flag near the west pillar. In the centre of the flag is a

Thirty Years War
. The banner now on display is a modern reproduction.

Golem of Prague

It is said that the body of a Golem (created by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel) lies in the attic where the genizah of Prague's community is kept.[9] A legend is told of a Nazi agent during World War II broaching the genizah, but who perished instead.[10] In the event, the Gestapo apparently did not enter the attic during the war, and the building was spared during the Nazis' destruction of synagogues.[9] The lowest three meters of the stairs leading to the attic from the outside have been removed and the attic is not open to the general public. Renovation in 1883, and exploration of the attic in August 2014, found no trace of a golem.[11]

See also

  • Old Synagogue (Prague)
    , also known as the Spanish Synagogue
  • Oldest synagogues in the world

Gallery

  • The eastern facade
    The eastern facade
  • The Old New Synagogue before 1906
    The Old New Synagogue before 1906
  • Rear with ladder to attic
    Rear with ladder to attic
  • Old New Synagogue by painter Jiří Meitner [cs]
    Old New Synagogue by painter Jiří Meitner [cs]
  • Rabbi Loew's chair
    Rabbi Loew's chair
  • View from the south-east
    View from the south-east
  • Interior
    Interior

References

  1. ^ The Scolanova Synagogue in Italy, also 13th century, was converted to a church by 1380 but was restored to synagogue use in 2006.
  2. ^ a b "Old-New Synagogue". Jewish Museum in Prague. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008.
  3. ^ David Wallace, Preface, Anne's Bohemia; Czech Literature and Society, 1310–1420, Alfred Thomas University of Minnesota Press, 1998, p. xi.
  4. ^ "Old-New Synagogue | synagogue.cz". www.synagogue.cz. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  5. ^ Carol Herselle Krinsky, Synagogues of Europe: Architecture, History, Meaning, Dover Publications, 1996.
  6. ^ a b c H. A. Meek, The Synagogue, Phaidon, 1995, p. 93.
  7. ^ "Hallelujah! Assemble, Pray, Study – Synagogues Past and Present". Beit Hatfutsot.
  8. ^ Krinsky p. 172-173
  9. ^ a b "The Golem". Temple Emanu-El of San Jose. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013.
  10. Jewish Post of New York
    .
  11. ^ Pictures inside the Attic of the Altneu shul in Prague where the Golem is said to be buried

Bibliography

External links

Media related to Old New Synagogue at Wikimedia Commons


50°05′24″N 14°25′07″E / 50.09000°N 14.41861°E / 50.09000; 14.41861