The Delft Synagogue is a Reconstructionist

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 at Koornmarkt 12, in the city of

Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...

, in the

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

region of

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Designed by L. Winkel in the Neoclassical style, the synagogue was completed in 1862, fell into disuse after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was subsequently restored and reconsecrated from 1974. Since 2005, the synagogue has been home to the OJG Klal Israël ( congregation, translates into English as the OPEN Jewish Congregation Klal Israel). Services are held in the synagogue twice a month. Rabbi

Hannah Nathans Hannah Nathans (born 1944) is an author and spiritual counselor. She is currently working as rabbi of the Open Jewish Congregation Klal Israel, Open Jewish Congregation Klal Israel in Delft, and is leading HaMakor for the Centre for Jewish Spiritua ...

is rabbi of OJG Klal Israël since 2 October 2016.

History

There is evidence of Jewish settlement in Delft from 1811. Services were initially held in private homes until official recognition of the community was granted in 1821. The community inaugurated a synagogue on the Koornmarkt in the center of Delft in 1862. During the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

deported and executed most of the Jews in the city. The synagogue survived, however its interior furnishings were devastated. In 1952, the former synagogue was sold to the municipality of Delft and by 1962, the congregation merged into a congregation in The Hague. The synagogue building was subsequently declared a national monument and restored in 1974. The building served as a

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Africa * ...

until 1996, when it was reassigned to the ''Stichting Behoud Synagoge Delft'', and fully restored. The building reopened in 2003 as a cultural center and the OJG Klal Israël congregation began using the building as a synagogue from 2005.

Position of the congregation

OJG Klal Israël is part of

Progressive Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous rev ...

, and holds progressive views on, among many issues,

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

, the role of women and the role of non-Jewish family members in the congregation. Its essential moral foundations are: equity and justice, equality, democracy and peace. The congregation defines itself as independent and "reformodox". It largely follows the Dutch liberal liturgy. According to the Reconstructionist vision, it views Torah as a ''binding'' blueprint for a meaningful Jewish life. However, in accordance with the talmudic injunction not to accept jurisprudence unquestioningly, it maintains that the ''interpretation'' of the law must be shaped by a dynamic and critical process that takes into account the needs and peculiarities of the modern world, and of the evolving Jewish civilization.

References

External links

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Jewish Reconstructionist Communities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klal Israel 1821 establishments in the Netherlands 2005 establishments in the Netherlands 1952 disestablishments in the Netherlands 19th-century synagogues in the Netherlands 20th-century attacks on Jewish institutions Ashkenazi Jewish culture in the Netherlands Ashkenazi synagogues Buildings and structures in Delft Jewish Dutch history Jewish organizations established in 1862 Jewish organizations established in 2005 Neoclassical architecture in the Netherlands Neoclassical synagogues Reconstructionist synagogues Synagogues completed in 1862 Synagogues in the Netherlands

History

Position of the congregation

See also

References

External links