Maputo synagogue
The Maputo Synagogue (Portuguese: Sinagoga de Maputo ) is the only Jewish place of worship in Mozambique . The building, erected in 1926, is located on Avenida Tomás Nduda in the Polana district , which is part of the center of the Mozambican capital Maputo . During the Mozambican civil war , the synagogue was used for other purposes, and since it was renovated in the 1990s and rededicated in 2013, a small Jewish community has been holding regular services here again.
history
construction
Although there had been a small Jewish community in Lourenço Marques (today Maputo ) since 1899 , the 30 or more Jews did not share a house of worship; services were held exclusively in private rooms. In 1921 the community was officially registered with the colonial authorities under the name "Associação de Benevolência Israelita Honen Dalim". In the same year the community received a small area donated by the city on Avenida Latino Coelho (today Avenida da Maguiguana ), on which the community had a small Jewish cemetery and chapel built.
However, the small community knew that they needed a synagogue. As a first step, the municipality bought a plot of land in Avenida General Botha (today Avenida Tomás Nduda ) in 1921 . For unknown reasons, the municipality selected the city architect Couto Martins as the architect, and the cost of construction was £ 1,500. Couto Martins was not of Jewish faith and had no experience building synagogues, and is said not to have even seen a synagogue before. The new synagogue was consecrated on August 29, 1926 by Rabbi Landau, the chief rabbi of the South African Jewish Congress .
After 1937 the number of Jews rose sharply, as the Aliens Act (Act No. 1/1937) made immigration very difficult in neighboring South Africa. However, the number fell after the end of World War II. The Jewish community never achieved great importance, which is mainly attributed to the heterogeneity of the community members.
Misappropriation during the Civil War
After Mozambique gained independence in 1975, most of the Jews left the country. The Mozambican government under the socialist-Marxist FRELIMO confiscated the synagogue in 1976 - as well as many other religious buildings in the country - and set up a warehouse there. a. for the Red Cross, a. The synagogue's inventory was completely lost.
Refurbishment and re-dedication
On the initiative of a businessman, the Jewish community came back into possession of the building in 1989 and a Torah edition from South Africa in 1993, but services were initially only held on public holidays. After some conflicts between the Maputo community and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies , the Torah was brought back to South Africa in 1994. In the mid-1990s, the property was given a wall on the street side and cast-iron gates decorated with stars of David.
In 2009, the community reorganized and officially registered with the authorities, so that it is now recognized under the title "Honen Dalim - Comunidade Judaica de Moçambique". In the same year, the congregation celebrated the first bat mitzvah in a long time , and in 2010 the first wedding .
As of 2010, the community collected donations for the urgent renovation of the synagogue. After a successful donation campaign, the construction work and thus the complete gutting of the building took place between 2011 and 2013.
On May 19, 2013, the synagogue was rededicated and the solemn return of a Torah edition took place ("Hachnasat Sefer Torah"). Numerous political figures attended the ceremony. a. the Israeli Ambassador, the Mozambican Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Muslim Community and representative of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies . Since then, church services have been held regularly, both on Shabbat and on public holidays.
Web links
- Side of the Municipality (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ História. (No longer available online.) The Jewish Community of Maputo, Mozambique Honen Dalim, 2014, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; Retrieved March 21, 2015 (Portuguese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b c d Jay A. Waronker: Maputo's Hebrew Congregation Synagogue: A Description and Short History. (No longer available online.) In: Kulanu.org. 2008, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; accessed on March 21, 2015 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ MAPUTO (formerly Laurenço Marques). In: International Jewish Cemetery Project. International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, December 26, 2013, accessed March 21, 2015 .
- ^ A b c The Jewish Community of Lourenco Marques. The African Jewish Congress, 2000, accessed March 21, 2015 .
- ^ Around the Jewish World: Tiny Community in Mozambique Struggles to Maintain Synagogue. In: JTA. August 20, 1995, accessed March 21, 2015 .
- ↑ David Batzofin: Synagogue in Maputo. November 7, 2010, accessed March 21, 2015 .
- ↑ Restoration. (No longer available online.) The Jewish Community of Maputo, Mozambique Honen Dalim, 2014, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; accessed on March 21, 2015 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Historic Maputo Mozambique synagogue rededicated. (No longer available online.) Club of Mozambique, June 28, 2013, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; accessed on March 21, 2015 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Mozambique synagogue re-dedicated after restoration. World Jewish Congress, June 27, 2013, accessed March 21, 2015 .
Coordinates: 25 ° 58 ′ 27.8 ″ S , 32 ° 35 ′ 13 ″ E