The Great Synagogue of Rome

the largest synagogue in Rome.

Today, a diverse community of 15,000 Jews lives in Rome, At least 13 synagogues can be found in Rome, including a special synagogue for the Libyan Jews who immigrated to Rome after the Six-Day War in 1967. Three of thirteen synagogues are located under the same roof at Via Balbo 33 (Itlaki, Sephardic and Ashkenazi). The Italian chief rabbi officiates at the Great Synagogue of Rome and heads the country's rabbinical council.

History

The history of Italian Jews pre-dates the destruction of the second Temple at Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Jewish community of Rome goes back to the 2nd century BC when the Roman Empire had an alliance of sorts with Judea under the leadership of Judah Maccabeus. At that time, many Jews came to Rome from Judea. Their numbers increased during the following centuries due to the settlement that came with Mediterranean trade. many more were brought to Rome as slaves following the Jewish–Roman wars in Judea from 63 to 135 A.D.

Thus, they are not Sephardi (from the eastern or Arab countries) or Askenazi (from Eastern Europe), and they have their own rite called Nusach Italki. Even in Hebrew, they are distinct, and called “Romanim.”

The present Synagogue was constructed shortly after the unification of Italy in 1870, when the Kingdom of Italy captured Rome and the Papal States ceased to exist. The Roman Ghetto was demolished and the Jews were granted citizenship. The building which had previously housed the ghetto synagogue (a complicated structure housing five scolas in a single building) was demolished, and the Jewish community began making plans for a new and impressive building.

The Synagogue was Designed Neo-Assyrian with a Neo Byzantine plan and a general Neo Classical exterior. style by Vincenzo Costa and Osvaldo Armanni, the synagogue was built from 1901 to 1904 on a site of 3,373 square metres on the banks of the Tiber, overlooking the former ghetto, created in 1555 by the Pope Paul IV Carafa, where all the Jews were constricted to live.

When the ghetto was opened, in 1870, many buildings were not good to live and they were destroyed. The Great Synagogue took the place of some of these buildings. The Jewish Community bought the plot from the City Council after thirteen years of negotiations. All the members of the Community gave some money to build it, even if the Community was not rich at all. Many people assisted to the inauguration taking place on 28 luglio 1904, the King of italy Vittorio Emanuele the III also came.

A memorial plaque was set in the entrance hall to the synagogue this way the jews of rome managed to declare their arising from depth to higher grounds("מבירא עמיקתא לאיגרא רמא")

The President of the Rome Community, Angelo Sereni, described how thirty years after their emancipation, the Jews wanted a Synagogue “sited between the Capitol and the Janiculum, between the monuments to Vittorio Emanuele II and Garibaldi, the two great architects of our united Italy; a majestically free Temple, surrounded by the pure and free light of the sun”. The structure of the Synagogue is severe and simple, not without a certain moderate ornate richness, in perfect harmony with the forms of the other monuments in the city.The eclectic style of the building makes it stand out, even in a city known for notable buildings and structures. This attention-grabbing Art Deco design was a deliberate choice made by the community at the time who wanted the building to be a visible celebration of their freedom and to be seen from many vantage points in the city. The aluminium dome is the only squared dome in the city and makes the building easily identifiable even from a distance.

Commemorative plates honour the local Jewish victims of Nazi Germany. and of a a Palestine Liberation Organization attack which took place on the 9th of october 1982 during the Lebanon war, caused the death of Stefano Gaj(2 years old), and the wounding of 37 people. which is also the reason why the synagogue is heavily guarded by Carabinieri(italy's state police) the entrance is not freely allowed and a security check is necessary in order to enter.

On 13 April 1986, Pope John Paul II made an unexpected visit to the Great Synagogue. This event marked the first known visit by a pope to a synagogue since the early history of the Roman Catholic Church. He prayed with Rabbi Elio Toaff, the former Chief Rabbi of Rome. This was seen by many as an attempt to improve relations between Catholicism and Judaism and a part of Pope John Paul II's programme to improve relations between Jews and Christians hoping to be united in a sign of living dialogue among people who desire to rediscover their common roots. They are our “big brothers”, said John Paul II using an expression which has now become famous.

on 17 January 2010, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Synagogue, Riccardo Di Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, and Riccardo Pacifici, president of the Jewish Community of Rome, welcomed the pope on the steps of the synagogue amid thunderous cheers of "Viva il Papa!" Benedict was accompanied by Archbishop Fouad Twal, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio in Israel, to underscore his encouragement of inter-religious relations by drawing Rome and Israel closer together. Despite the trite headlines about the "Pope's Controversial Visit,"(reason of him Making Pope Pius the XII a saint in spite of his silence during the holocaust and numerous other affairs.) there was no real controversy; the chief rabbi had extended the invitation to Benedict in 2006 and the Roman Jewish community pulled out all the stops for this event.