Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (Cairo)
| Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue בית כנסת שער השמים | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Sephardic |
| Status | Active on High Holidays |
| Location | |
| Location | 17 Adly Street, Cairo Cairo, Egypt |
| Geographic coordinates | 30°3′5″N 31°14′37″E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Maurice Youssef Cattaui, Eduard Matasek[1] |
| Completed | 1899 |
The Sha'ar HaShamayim Synagogue (lit. Gate of Heaven) is located in Cairo, Egypt. The synagogue was also known as Temple Ismailia and the Adly Street Synagogue.
Its long-time leader was Chief Rabbi Chaim Nahum. In 2008, the synagogue marked its 100th anniversary.[2] The synagogue was built in a style evoking ancient Egyptian temples, and was once the largest building on the boulevard.[3]
When the synagogue opened in 1899, there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cairo. The last time the synagogue was full was in the 1960s.[2] Today the community numbers 6 members, most of them older women.[2]
Although it is considered a Sephardic synagogue, many Ashkenazi Jews were members of the congregation and contributed to its construction and upkeep.[4]
In February 2010, a booby-trapped suitcase was hurled at the synagogue from a nearby hotel. The suitcase caught fire, but no one was hurt and no damage was reported.[3]
See also
References
- Raafat, Samir (2 September 1999). "Gates of Heaven". Cairo Times.
- Stern, Yoav. Cairo Synagogue marks 100 years of grandeur and decline, Haaretz, 04-11-2007. Retrieved on 2011-03-22.
- Bomb hurled at main synagogue in Cairo
- Egypt Landmarks Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
Rivka Ulmer, “The Sha‘ar Ha-Shamayim Synagogue (Keniset Isma‘iliyah,) in Cairo, Egypt,” in Maven in Blue Jeans: A Festschrift in Honor of Zev Garber (Shofar Suppl.; West Lafayette, in: Purdue University Press, 2009), 431–40.
