 The Four Sephardic Synagogues
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The term "The Four Sephardic Synagogues named after Yochanan Zakai" relates to four
interconnected synagogues. They were not originally built as a single complex, but
were apparently separate buildings that were gradually joined together as the congregation
grew and required extra space to worship. The complex was established when the congregation
of Sephardic Jews, who had originally arrived in Jerusalem as a result of the Spanish
Inquisition, grew and needed additional land to establish its center. Through the
span of several generations, four synagogues were established that have been operating
for over 300 years.
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The Eliyahu Ha-Navi synagogue (Elijah the Prophet synagogue):
According to legend, the name of the synagogue was given
after an occurrence on Yom Kippur eve. An additional person was needed to make up
the minyan required for prayer. Out of the blue, a man unknown to the worshippers
appeared, and the service was able to start. The man mysteriously disappeared after
the Neilah prayer, and the congregants were sure that the mystery man was none other
than Elijah the Prophet. The chair used by the guest was moved to a special room
in the synagogue, where it was kept until the War of Independence in 1948.
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The Yochanan ben Zakai synagogue,
the biggest and most impressive of the four synagogues, provided the name for the
entire complex. The earliest surviving description is that by a Christian pilgrim,
from the end of the sixteenth century. According to legend, the synagogue stands
on the spot of the Beit Midrash of the tanna Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, the leader
of the people who established the Sanhedrin in Yavneh after the destruction of the
Second Temple.
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The Kahal Kadosh Talmud Torah synagogue, also known as the Eliyahu
Ha-Navi ynagogue, is adjacent to the Yochanan ben Zakai synagogue. According to
legend, the name of the synagogue was given after an occurrence on Yom Kippur eve.
An additional person was needed to make up the minyan required for prayer. Out of
the blue, a man unknown to the worshippers appeared, and the service was able to
start. The man mysteriously disappeared after the Neilah prayer, and the congregants
were sure that the mystery man was none other than Elijah the Prophet. The chair
used by the guest was moved to a special room in the synagogue, where it was kept
until the War of Independence in 1948.
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The Istanbuli Synagogue was built in typical Ottoman architectural style by Sephardic Jews
from Turkey, and was named after Istanbul - the capital of the Ottoman Empire at
that time.
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The Kahal Tziyon Synagogue – Ha-Emtsai (The Central Synagogue)
was established in the gap between the other synagogues,
in what had originally been a courtyard. As the congregation grew and flourished,
and required more space to pray, the courtyard was roofed over and declared a synagogue.
It was named "Ha-Emtsai". The Sephardic institutions - study centers and charity
organizations - developed around the synagogues, and by the end of the nineteenth
century, the Chief Sephardic Rabbis had taken up residence in the vicinity as well.
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During the War of Independence, residents of the Quarter found cover
here for two continuous weeks. After the conquest of the Quarter, the synagogues
were looted and destroyed. After the reunification of Jerusalem, the four synagogues
were rehabilitated, and today they are used by all residents of the Jewish Quarter.
Ashkenazim and Sephardim alike.
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The Site List
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