Historic and Great Synagogues of Europe: The Best Jewish Sites to Visit on Your European Vacation!

The following Historical and Great Synagogues are a reminder of the once large Jewish presence in Europe.  Most of these synagogues were built between late 1800s and early 1900s, after Jewish emancipation allowed the Jews to leave the ghetto and become equal or somewhat equal members of society.

The Great Synagogue in Dohány Street -- Budapest, Hungary

The Great Synagogue in Dohány Street is the largest synagogue in both Hungary and Europe.  Built in Moorish Revival style between 1854 and 1859, at a time when there were an estimated 30,000 Jews in Pest, this synagogue is affiliated with the Hungarian Neolog movement.  This synagogue is modeled after Moorish structures in North Africa and Spain and originally held a crowd of 2,964 seats.  1,492 of these seats were located in the main hall and were reserved for men, while there was a comfortable women’s gallery on the second floor where 1,472 seats were strictly reserved for women.

The Neue Synagoge -- Berlin, Germany

The Neue Synagoge (English: The New Synagogue) was the main synagogue of the Reform Jewish community in Berlin. This temple was built between 1859 and 1864 at a time when there were about 20,000 Jews in Berlin. Located on Oranienburger Street and consecreated on Rosh Hashana 1866, the New Synagogue was richly decorated with multi-colored brick, had a very fancy center dome, and was designed in Moorish style to resemble the Spanish Alhambra.  A Reform Synagogue, the New Synagogue did not contain a traditional women's section. Its main hall seated nearly 3,000 people, with men and women sitting side by side.

The Jubilee Synagogue in Jerusalem Street -- Prague, Czech Republic

The Jubilee Synagogue in Jerusalem Street is both the youngest and largest synagogue in Prague.  An Orthodox Synagogue, it was built between 1905 and 1906 in an interesting mix between Neo-Moorish and Viennese Art Nouveau.  The largest synagogue in Prague, it has room for 850 worshippers.  It was built when Prague was under the control of the Austrian Empire.  It was dedicated on Simchat Torah 1906 and is named in honor of the 50th anniversary (or Jubilee Anniversary) of the reign of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Make sure to see other series that I've published:

Wonders of Prague: The Best Sites to See on Your Vacation in Prague!