The Beth Yaakov Synagogue is located in the heart of the city of

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

. It has also been known as the Grande Synagogue. It was built between 1858 and 1859 for the

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

community, which comprised about 200 people at the time of the synagogue's construction.

Architecture

The architecture a mix of

Moorish Revival architecture Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th cen ...

and

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine era is usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great moved the Roman capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the ...

. The synagogue was designed by the Swiss Architect Jean Henri Bachofen. At the entrance one can see Moorish style Arches. The platform for reading of the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...

(the bimah) is located in front of the

Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron h ...

, opposite the main entrance. This style was adopted later in the history of world Synagogues, since the Bimah was usually built in the middle of the congregation. Women have their own sections on both sides of the prayer hall. The building has been registered as a Historic monument (Switzerland) because of its architecture. Stereoscopic postcard of the Geneva synagogue

Stereoscopic postcard of the Geneva synagogue

Photo gallery

File:RoyLindmanBethYaakovSynagogueGeneva 002.jpg, Rabbi's entrance

References

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/switzerland/geneva-grande-synagogue.htm Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Switzerland Ashkenazi synagogues Synagogues in Switzerland Buildings and structures in Geneva Religious buildings and structures in Geneva Synagogues completed in 1859 Moorish Revival synagogues Byzantine Revival synagogues {{Switzerland-synagogue-stub