Pazardzhik Synagogue refers to two former Orthodox

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 ...

synagogues 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 Pazardzhik,

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. The Pazardzhik Great Synagogue (, ), and the Pazardzhik Small Synagogue (, ) served as synagogues from 1850 until the s; and subsequently as museums and for use by the Jewish community.

History of the Jews in Pazardzhik

The earliest record of Judaism in Pazardzhik was in 1580 mentioned in an Ottoman register. In 1614, there were seven households. That number grew to ten between 1635 and to 41 between 1696-1697. Around 1888, the Jews were 1,277, the highest number in the history of Jews in the city. In 1945, the Jews were up to 826 (303 males, 322 females, 201 children). Their main occupations were trading and carpentry. There were 121 traders, 36 craftsmen and 35 clerks. There were many

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

political organizations established in the autumn of 1944, such as ''Dr. M. Nahamzon'' and '' WIZO''. The biggest one was Nahamzon, which united other Zionist organizations.

Synagogue buildings

Great Synagogue

Sometimes called the Grand Synagogue or Big Synagogue, located on Asen Zlatarov Street, the larger and older synagogue was built in 1850. Designed by Stavri Temelkov, associated with the Bratsigovo architect school, the stone synagogue was completed in the

Bulgarian National Revival The Bulgarian Revival (, ''Balgarsko vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and ), sometimes called the Bulgarian National Revival, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian pe ...

and Baroque Revival styles. It is believed that there was a previous synagogue in the same location constructed in the 17th century and burnt in the first half of the 19th century. Due to the mass emigration of Jews in Bulgaria, the synagogue is left to be not used for their intended purpose. The synagogue was believed to be used up until the . In 1972, the synagogue was formally closed and used as a regional museum. In 1979, it was completely renovated, declared a Bulgarian architectural monument of culture, and then given back to the Jewish community in Pazardzhik.

Small Synagogue

The smaller synagogue, also located on Asen Zlatarov Street, was completed in 1872 in the Ottoman Art Nouveau style. From 1954 to 1979, the synagogue was used as a library for the local historical museum; and as a restaurant.

References

External links

* * {{Pazardzhik 1820s establishments in Bulgaria 19th-century synagogues in Europe Art Nouveau architecture in Bulgaria Art Nouveau synagogues Baroque Revival architecture in Bulgaria Baroque Revival synagogues

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 ...

Bulgarian National Revival Jewish organizations established in the 1820s Sephardi Jewish culture in Bulgaria Sephardi synagogues