The Etz Hayyim Synagogue ( he, בית הכנסת עץ חיים) is an

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...

synagogue in

Chania Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion. The mun ...

on the Greek island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cypru ...

. It is the only surviving remnant of the island's Romaniote Jewish community.

Overview

After being restored, the synagogue (with its

mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or ( Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purif ...

) has become a tourist destination and has attracted visits from foreign dignitaries like Queen Sofía of Spain and King Constantine II of Greece, who made a sudden and unannounced visit to the site in March 2006. Today, the synagogue is seen locally as a symbol of coexistence. Uniquely, almost all of its congregants are non-Jews, with an international team taking care of the congregation work. Occasionally, a rabbi or (during the Jewish holidays) someone who is able to blow the shofar visits the community. Christians and Muslims are invited to visit. Despite the community's Romaniote past, the congregation today uses primarily the Sephardic custom of Greece and has developed its own

Haggadah The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each J ...

text. The synagogue was the target of multiple

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

attacks in January 2010; fires were set inside the synagogue on 5 and 16 January, and a bar of soap was left outside during the latter, presumably invoking a common Greek-language antisemitic threat which translates to "I'll make you into a bar of soap". The first fire was quickly contained, but the second destroyed 2,500 rare books and manuscripts. Two British men aged 23 and 33, and one Greek man aged 24, were arrested in connection with both attacks after the Greek man confessed to police. Two Americans were also being sought by police in connection with the first attack.

References

External links

* * 21st-century attacks on synagogues and Jewish communal organizations Buildings and structures in Chania Orthodox Judaism in Europe Orthodox synagogues Romaniote synagogues Religious buildings and structures in Crete Romaniote Jews topics Sephardi Jewish culture in Greece Synagogues in Greece Tourist attractions in Crete {{Greece-synagogue-stub

Overview

See also

References

External links