Early history in 2010 The Hurva Synagogue today stands off a plaza in the centre of
Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter, adjacent to the 14th century
Sidna Omar mosque. Excavations carried out at the site in July and August 2003 revealed evidence from four main settlement periods:
First Temple (800–600 BCE),
Second Temple (100 CE),
Byzantine and
Ottoman. Three bedrock-hewn
mikvehs (ritual baths) were uncovered there dating from the 1st century. The earliest tradition regarding the site is of a synagogue existing there at the time of the second-century sage
Judah HaNasi I.
Judah heHasid and aftermath: 1700s In the winter of 1700, a group of around 500 Ashkenazim led by
Judah HeHasid arrived from Poland to the
region of Palestine. A few days after their arrival in the city, heHasid died, and without a leader, their messianic hopes dissipated and the community began to disintegrate. In late 1720, with the debts still outstanding, the Arab lenders lost patience and set the synagogue and its contents alight. Over the course of time, shops were built in the courtyard and the synagogue was left desolate, in a pile of rubble. It thus became known as the "Ruin of Rabbi Judah heHasid". Nevertheless, in late 1815, leader of the Safed Perushim, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, arrived in Jerusalem with a group of followers. They directed their main efforts to rebuilding he-Hasid's synagogue, which had symbolised the expulsion of the Ashkenazim from Jerusalem. By this, they intended to demonstrate the re-establishment of Ashkenazic presence in the city. Rebuilding one of Jerusalem's ruins would also have symbolic
kabbalistic significance. The "repairing" of an earlier destruction would represent the first step of rebuilding the entire city, a prerequisite for the arrival of the
Messiah. The group acquired a legal document delineating the entire site acquired by he-Hasid in 1700. The area now included dilapidated dwellings and shops built by the creditors' heirs on part of the site. Next, they had to secure another
firman that would permit construction at the site, including the building of a large synagogue. Two successive missions in 1820 and 1821 to obtain the
firman from the sultan's court failed. In 1825, following the disruption the group were experiencing, Shapira travelled to Europe once again. He hoped to secure the necessary
firman, which would place the courtyard firmly in the Perushim's possession, and also to raise funds to cover the costs incurred trying to redeem the courtyard. His mission, however, was unsuccessful, as was a later mission attempted in 1829 by Zoref. On June 23, 1836, after traveling to Egypt, Zoref, together with the backing of the Austrian and Russian consuls in
Alexandria, obtained the long-awaited
firman. It seems he was successful in gaining support of the Austrian consul and Muhammad Ali by invoking the name of Baron
Salomon Mayer von Rothschild of
Vienna. Muhammad Ali was hopeful that by giving his permission to rebuild the Ruin, Rothschild would be inclined to forge financial and political ties with him, which would in turn secure political support of Austria and France. In fact, Rothschild's involvement was a ruse. As soon as Zoref received the
firman, he contacted Zvi Hirsch Lehren of the Clerks' Organisation in Amsterdam, requesting that funds his brother had pledged towards the building of synagogues in Palestine be applied to the Ruin. But Lehren had doubts as to what exactly the
firman permitted. Explicit authorisation for construction of a large synagogue was absent. (A letter from the leaders of the Amsterdam community to
Moses Montefiore in 1849 confirms that permission for a synagogue in the Ashkenasic Compound had not been sanctioned; they had only been allowed to build dwellings in the area.)
Menachem Zion Synagogue In spite of the doubts highlighted in relation to the construction of a synagogue, the Perushim, confidently in possession of the ambiguous
firman, began clearing away the rubble from the Ruin courtyard in September 1836. As the foundations of he-Hasid's original synagogue were revealed, they discovered a few old documents dating from 1579, signed by
Israel ben Moses Najara. After much debate, they decided not to rebuild the Ruin, but initially erect a small structure on the edge of the Ashkenasic compound. and maintained that the Turkish Statute of Limitations cancelled out the debts of Judah heHasid's followers. By January 1837 however, the Perushim had dedicated the modest Menachem Zion Synagogue in the northwestern corner of the courtyard. The actual plot upon which he-Hasid's synagogue had stood 130 years earlier, however, remained in ruins.
Rebuilding he-Hasid's Ruin: 1857–1864 In the early 1850s, the Perushim felt ready to attempt the building a larger synagogue on he-Hasid's original site. An outcome of the
Crimean War was the British government's willingness to use its increased influence at Constantinople to intervene on behalf of its Jewish subjects who resided in Jerusalem. On July 13, 1854,
James Finn of the British consulate in Jerusalem wrote to the British ambassador in Constantinople describing the wishes of the 2,000 strong Ashkenazic community to build a new synagogue. He noted that funds for construction had been collected by Moses Montefiore twelve years earlier. He also enclosed a 150-year-old
firman, which authorised the Ashkenazic Jews to rebuild their ruined synagogue. As the title to the plot of land was held by the Amzalag family, who were British subjects, they designated London-born Rabbi Hirschell, son of Chief Rabbi of Great Britain
Solomon Hirschell, to negotiate the transfer. The British consulate agreed to lend its sanction to the contract in order to avoid possible intrusion by the Turks. At issue was the question of whether the building of a synagogue at the site constituted the repair of an old house of non-Muslim worship or the establishment of a new synagogue. The Turks would have to grant a special license for the latter. In July 1855, while in Constantinople, Montefiore was handed the
firman, which he hand-delivered during his fourth visit to Jerusalem in 1857. On April 22, 1856, the cornerstone was laid in the presence of Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem,
Shmuel Salant. On May 7, 1856 Consul Finn inspected the site after receiving complaints from Muslims who suspected the opening of windows towards a mosque. Although originally in possession of a lump sum they hoped would pay for the planned edifice, expenses increased. Construction work progressed slowly for lack of funds and the impoverished community soon found themselves having to arrange collections throughout the
diaspora. One notable emissary,
Jacob Saphir, set off for Egypt in 1857 and returned in 1863 having visited Yemen, Aden, India, Java, Australia, New Zealand and Ceylon. The largest single gift came from Ezekiel Reuben, a wealthy Sephardi Jew from
Baghdad, who gave 100,000 of the million
piasters needed. His sons, Menashe and Sasson, later supplemented his donation. The combined donations from the Reuben family eventually covered more than half the cost. It marked an important step in the unity of the Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities of the city. Another contributor was
Frederick William IV of Prussia, whose name was inscribed above the entrance together with those of other benefactors. He also gave permission for funds to be collected from his Jewish subjects. Throughout Western Europe, emissaries sought donations with the slogan "Merit Eternal Life with one stone". Two years later in 1864, the new synagogue was dedicated. Present was Baron
Alphonse James de Rothschild, who 8 years earlier had been given the honour of laying the first stone. As a token of gratitude to the British government for their involvement, the British Consul James Finn, was invited to the dedication ceremony, which included a thanksgiving service. He described the "beautiful chants and anthems in Hebrew", the subsequent refreshments provided and the playing of Russian and Austrian music. Built in
Byzantine Revival style, it was supported by four massive
pilasters at each corner over which soared a large dome. The construction of only one of these towers was completed. The other three were missing the upper level and the small dome that capped it. Frescoes with religious motifs, such as stars of David, the
menorah,
Mount Sinai and the
Ten Commandments, adorned every wall. In the four corners were drawings of four animals in accordance with the statement in
Pirkei Avot: "Be strong as the leopard and swift as the eagle, fleet as the deer and brave as the lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven." It was described as "the glory of the Old City" and the "most striking edifice in all of Palestine". It also housed part of the
Etz Chaim Yeshiva, the largest
yeshiva in Jerusalem. It was a focal point of Jewish spiritual life in the city and was the site of the installation of the Ashkenazic chief rabbis of both Palestine and Jerusalem. On February 3, 1901 a memorial service for
Queen Victoria took place inside the synagogue in gratitude for the protection afforded to the Jews of Jerusalem by Britain. The service was presided over by the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi,
Shmuel Salant. According to a report in
The Jewish Chronicle, the large building was "filled to its utmost capacity and policemen had to keep off the crowds, who vainly sought admission, by force". In around 1919, Benjamin Lee Gordon wrote that the "synagogue presented a very pleasant and dignified appearance. It was well illuminated with artistic lamps presented by a certain Mr. Lichtenstein, of Philadelphia". In 1921
Abraham Isaac Kook was appointed first Chief Rabbi of Palestine at the synagogue. The synagogue also hosted
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, who was honoured with reciting a portion of the Torah.
Destruction during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War On May 25, 1948, during the
battle for the Old City, commander of the Jordanian
Arab Legion, Major
Abdullah el-Tell, wrote to Otto Lehner of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to warn that unless the armed Zionist forces (including the
Haganah) withdrew from the synagogue and its adjoining courtyard, the Arab Legion would be forced to attack it. On May 27, el-Tell, after receiving no answer to his proposition, told his men to "Get the Hurva Synagogue by noon." Fawzi el-Kutub executed the mission by placing a 200-litre barrel filled with explosives against the synagogue wall. The explosion resulted in a gaping hole and Haganah fighters spent forty-five minutes fighting in vain to prevent the Legionnaires from entering. When they finally burst through, they tried to reach the top of its dome to plant an Arab flag. Three were shot by snipers, but the fourth succeeded. The Arab flag flying over the Old City skyline signaled the Legion's triumph. Photographs show that the dome of the synagogue was badly damaged during the fighting. After taking the synagogue, Israeli sources state the Arab Legion blew up what remained: Meanwhile Arab sources state the synagogue was destroyed as its rooftops were used militarily by Jewish armed groups. Between 1968 and 1973, Kahn presented three plans for the reconstruction. The ruins were incorporated in a memorial garden, with a new structure on an adjacent lot and a promenade, the "Route of the Prophets", leading to the
Western Wall. Kahn proposed a structure within a structure, monumental "pylons of Jerusalem stone on each side enclosing four huge central pillars of reinforced concrete, so that the pylons function[ed] as a container and the pillars as its content". Following the Beaux-Arts tradition, the elements of architecture were conceived as hollow, thus creating pocketing spaces within both structures. The outer structure was composed of 16 piers covered in golden
Jerusalem stone cut in blocks of the same proportions and same course finish as those of the Western Wall. In the bases of the four corners of the two-story, high structure delineated by the piers, there would be small alcoves for meditation or individual prayer. Such alcoves would be used for daily prayer services, allowing larger crowds on Sabbath or festivals. Boston-based Israeli-Canadian architect
Moshe Safdie, who had built extensively in Jerusalem and trained with Kahn in Philadelphia, was also in favour of rebuilding using contemporary design: "It's absurd to reconstruct the Hurva as if nothing had happened. If we have the desire to rebuild it, let's have the courage to have a great architect do it." Kollek was also concerned with the impact such a monumental temple may have in the Old City. Kahn's model was displayed in the
Israel Museum, but his plan was shelved when he died in 1974. As no permanent solution could be agreed upon, a temporary, symbolic solution was created. In 1977, one of the four stone arches that had originally supported the synagogue's monumental dome was recreated. However, in 1996, the supposedly temporary arch of the Hurva was almost thirty years old and, as a solution, it became nearly perpetual. Such condition was then publicly noted and interpreted: This suggested that the single reconstructed arch of the Hurva could no longer be understood as a satisfactory expression of any commitment to rebuild the lost synagogue nor as an acceptable official response to its intentional destruction in 1948.
Reconstruction (2005–2010) The plan to rebuild the synagogue in its original 19th-century style received approval by the Israeli government in 2000. Jerusalem architect Nahum Meltzer, who proposed rebuilding the synagogue in its original Ottoman format, was given the commission. Meltzer stated that "both out of respect for the historical memory of the Jewish people and out of respect for the built-up area of the Old City, it is fitting for us to restore the lost glory and rebuild the Hurva Synagogue the way it was." In 2002 the Israeli mint issued a set of medals featuring the synagogue to mark the beginning of the reconstruction project. Following comprehensive historic research, the reconstruction works began in 2005 and on February 15, 2007,
Simcha HaKohen Kook of
Rehovot was appointed as its rabbi, a move confirmed by leading rabbis, including Yosef Shalom Eliashiv. On April 15, 2008 a celebration marked the placing of the keystone in the synagogue's dome. Contention arose over what kind of institution the Hurva would be. A group of
Secularist and
nationalist-religious activists opposed the notion of another synagogue in the Old City and wanted the site to become a museum presenting the historical saga of the Jewish Quarter and displaying archaeological finds unearthed there. They viewed the appointment of Kook as the rabbi while the structure was still a shell as a move aimed at preventing a
Modern Orthodox rabbi, who would have been more amenable to a broader utilisation of the site, from getting the position. Rabbi of the Jewish Quarter,
Avigdor Nebenzahl, has been clear that he wants the building to serve as a synagogue and a house of study. ==Rededication and response==