(On the lower roof of the Hurva Synagogue, Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem's Old City)On Wednesday, January 12th, I achieved another goal on my list of places to see--the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. The only reason it has taken me twelve months to visit a synagogue ten minutes' walk away is because tours have to be arranged by phone in advance. I can't tell you how many times I would arrive at a day off, think about visiting here, and then realize I hadn't planned ahead. This time, I did and called on Sunday; it was even more fun to go with eight other volunteers.
The Hurva Synagogue lower roof and dome (remember the railed catwalk you see!)
This area of Jerusalem has an ancient and fascinating history. Our tour began underneath the current building, where excavations have revealed ruins from the 1st and 2nd Temple periods, the Byzantine period, and the Ottoman period. During the time of the Second Temple (the Temple standing when Jesus lived on earth), this area was Jerusalem's Upper City. The Upper City was inhabited largely by the wealthy and the priests.
Accordingly, beneath the Hurva is a three-stepped mikveh (ritual bath)--the steps are just left of the wall
On the other side of the wall is a street from Byzantine Jerusalem
Following our introduction to this area of the city in the Hurva basement, our guide took us to the women's gallery to tell more of the story. As is tradition in Jewish synagogues, men and women can enter the women's gallery, but only men can access the main floor of the synagogue.
By the 13th century, the Ashkenazic Jews had established a courtyard in this area. (Ashkenazi is a term referring to Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities located along the Rhine in Germany. Ashkenazi Jews literally means "German Jews.") In the winter of 1700, about 500 Ashkenazim arrived from Europe and initially built forty dwellings and a small synagogue here. Later, they undertook to build a larger synagogue, but the project resulted in the community asking for loans from local Arabs. The cost was more than they anticipated, and the people ended up in huge debt. In 1720, the debts were still outstanding, the Arabs grew tired of waiting to be repaid, and they burned the synagogue. Shortly after, the Ashkenazim were banned from the city, and the synagogue remained in ruins; thus, earning it the name "Hurva"--Hebrew for "ruin."
In 1817, leaders of a group of Lithuanian Jews traveled to Constantinople in hopes of having the old promissory notes canceled. The year 1819 brought success as well as a legal document delineating the entire site as it was initially acquired in 1700. Permission was not granted, however, for repair/reconstruction until 1836. Interestingly, the group ended up deciding only to build a small synagogue in the northwestern corner of the courtyard, and the site of the original synagogue (built 130 years earlier) still stood in ruins.
After the Crimean War, the British had a little more sway in issues in "Palestine," and they persuaded the Turks to permit the construction of a 'new' synagogue. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the last day of Hanukkah, 1855, and the cornerstone was laid on April 22, 1856. Once again, unexpected expenses slowed down construction, and the new building was not dedicated until 1864. From 1864 until 1948, this synagogue was considered the glory of the Old City. Interestingly, the Hurva Synagogue hosted a memorial service for Queen Victoria in 1901, in gratitude for British protection of Jerusalem Jews.
On May 27, 1948, the Jordanian Arab Legion bombed the Hurva synagogue. Fighters broke through and flew an Arab flag from the dome, signaling the victory of the Jordanians and the fall of the Jewish Quarter. Hours later, a large explosion once again reduced the synagogue to rubble. After the Six-Day war of 1967 and a Jewish return to the Old City, plans began to be drawn for a rebuilt Hurva. Initially, no one plan could be agreed upon so one of the original four arches was reconstructed in memorial.
In 2000, the Israeli government granted permission to rebuild the Hurva synagogue in its original 19th century style. After much historical research, the work began in 2005, and the reconstructed Hurva Synagogue was officially opened on March 15, 2010 (the first day of Passover). As our tour guide reminded us, the reconstructed building is about 98% identical to the one dedicated in 1864.
The two-story Torah Ark as viewed from the women's gallery; facing the ark is the Bimah.
Looking up at the interior of the dome, the uppermost gallery.
Coming back to the present, after hearing the Hurva story in the women's gallery, we climbed up some stairs, out onto the lower roof, and then up this spiral staircase to the gallery inside the Hurva's dome.
It was an amazing experience standing stories above the floor of the Hurva! For safety reasons, we were allowed to have cameras only if they were around our neck or wrist (nothing else in our hands), and nothing could be held over the railing. At this point, we were about 52 feet above the ground.
At the back of the synagogue is the women's gallery
The front (east wall) of the Hurva--the gray stone is what was left of the 1864 wall. It survived the explosion of 1948 and was incorporated into the new building.
Outside the dome, looking down at Hurva Square--the center of the Jewish Quarter.
Remember one of the first pictures, when I suggested you remember the railed catwalk? After spending some time inside the dome, our guide took us out to walk around the dome on the outside. The platform is about 52 feet above the ground; the top of the dome is 79 feet high; this makes the Hurva one of the tallest landmarks in the Old City, and the view in all four directions is spectacular. As an added bonus, our tour began at 4:00, so we came out of the gallery at the perfect time to witness a glorious sunset. Let me take you on the 360-degree walk with me!
Looking south over the Jewish Quarter and in the direction of Bethlehem
Looking southeast (the direction of the City of David and the Dead Sea)
Looking east--the golden Dome of the Rock is just visible on the left side of the picture. At the center of the horizon stands the Russian Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives. Behind the Mount of Olives (which runs the full length of the picture) is Bethany, the Judean wilderness, and eventually the Jordan River.
Looking northeast over the Temple Mount and the Muslim Quarter. The hill to the left is Mount Scopus.
Looking northwest over the Christian Quarter. The tall steeple in the middle is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Immediately left of that are the two gray domes roofing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Looking southwest over the Armenian Quarter. And, a nearby mosque . . .
Another picture looking south--the colors had changed in the time it took to walk around the dome.
Two-thirds of the Christ Church group at the Hurva--Joe, Christine, Nick, Nathan, me, and Elsa (Lucille, Rebecca, and Sarah were still up taking pictures on the catwalk)
On the catwalk with Sarah (beautiful Jerusalem in the background)
This was truly a special experience--both learning about the rich history of the Hurva Synagogue and the spectacular views, inside and outside. If you're interested in a more detailed history, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurva_Synagogue. That article is especially interesting because of the pictures from the 1930s--they are so similar to the pictures I took nine days ago!
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