Hechal Yehuda is one of approximately 500 synagogues in Tel Aviv. It was built in memory of the
Jewish community of Thessaloniki, which was almost completely destroyed during the
Holocaust. It is named in honour of
Yehuda Leon Recanati. The design is inspired by the seashells on the shores of the
Greek city of
Thessaloniki, which is the hometown of the wealthy Recanati family and the synagogue's architect, Yitzhak Toledano. The Recanati family donated the money for the synagogue. The construction of the synagogue was completed in 1980, after both Toledano and Recanati had died. Today most worshippers at the synagogue are
Greek-
Sephardi Jews originating from Thessaloniki. ==Architecture==