The Old Motza Synagogue () is

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, located in

Motza Motza, also Mozah or Motsa, (, ) is a neighbourhood on the western edge of Jerusalem. It is located in the Judaean Mountains, 600 metres above sea level, connected to Jerusalem by the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway, Highway 16, and the winding mo ...

, in

West Jerusalem West Jerusalem or Western Jerusalem (, ; , ) refers to the section of Jerusalem that was controlled by Israel at the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. As the city was divided by the Green Line (Israel's erstwhile border, established by ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Completed in 1871, the Ottoman-era synagogue is just off Highway 1.

History

Ottoman and British periods

In 1871, a

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

was built in the city of Motzah, and the year of its founding is engraved in a stone on the arch of the modern-day building that is used as the synagogue. It was built on the foundation of a

Crusader Crusader or Crusaders may refer to: Military * Crusader, a participant in one of the Crusades * Convair NB-36H Crusader, an experimental nuclear-powered bomber * Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II * Crusaders (guerrilla), a C ...

-era building. The modern building was built by Yehoshua Yellin to serve as an inn for travellers along the Yafo-Jerusalem road. In 1905, a group of tourists arrived at the inn, including Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Kraus of

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

and Rabbi of Kartzag. They were informed that there was no synagogue in the neighborhood, and Kraus began fundraising to build a synagogue in the caravanserai. The establishment by Kraus and Shik is commemorated on a memorial at the building. The building served as a synagogue for Jews of the

Old Yishuv The Old Yishuv (, ''haYishuv haYashan'') were the Jewish communities of the Land of Israel during the Ottoman period, up to the onset of Zionist aliyah waves, and the consolidation of the new Yishuv by the end of World War I. Unlike the new Yis ...

, and was abandoned due to violence towards Jews in the 1929 Palestine pogrom. The building became part of the Arab settlement of Kalonia, now

Mevaseret Zion Mevaseret Zion () is a town and local council located to the west of Jerusalem, straddling both sides of the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway. Mevaseret Zion is composed of two distinct older townships, Maoz Zion and Mevaseret Yerushalayim, under ...

. In 1961, when Jews returned to the area, the building was renovated and converted back into a synagogue. In 1973, archaeological excavations were carried out near the synagogue, where many artifacts from the period of Roman settlement were discovered.

Modern usage

The synagogue is used for typical Shabbat services, and is used as an event venue for religious lectures and celebrations for locals in the area. On the wall of the outer synagogue is a presentation of the history of the families of the first Jewish settlers to the area, and in front is a mosaic describing the location of the synagogue relative to the Motza Valley.

References

External links

{{Authority control 1871 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 19th-century synagogues in Israel Old Yishuv Synagogues in Jerusalem West Jerusalem Synagogues completed in 1871

History

Ottoman and British periods

Modern usage

See also

References

External links