The Caen Synagogue (French: Synagogue de Caen), officially Synagogue of the Hebrew Cultural Association, is a Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 46 Avenue de la Libération, in Caen, Calvados, in the Normandy region of France. The president of the Israelite Cultural Association of Caen (ACI), who own the building, is Nassim Levy.[1]

Caen Synagogue
French: Synagogue de Caen
The synagogue in 2008
Religion
AffiliationJudaism
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
StatusActive
Location
Location46 Avenue de la Libération, Caen, Calvados, Normandy
CountryFrance
Caen Synagogue is located in France
Caen Synagogue
Location of the synagogue in France
Geographic coordinates49°11′07″N 0°21′38″W / 49.1853°N 0.36042°W / 49.1853; -0.36042
Architecture
Architect(s)Guy Morizet
TypeSynagogue architecture
Date establishedc. 1960s (as a congregation)
Completed1966
Construction costFR20 million

History

edit

Before the construction of the synagogue, Jews in Caen held services in different locations around the city, notably in community buildings or the musée Langlois.[2][3] With the arrival of North African Jews in France following the Indépendance of Algeria, the local Jewish community, largely composed of Ashkenazi Jews, recognized the need for the construction of a dedicated place of worship.[2]

The site chosen for the new synagogue was formerly a garage owned by a Jewish man deported during the Second World War.[3] Seventy-five percent of the construction costs were covered by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee,[4] at the time[when?] approximately FR20 million.[2] The architect was Guy Morizet. The first stone was laid on April 30, 1964 and construction lasted a month. The synagogue was consecrated on May 23, 1966 in the presence of Jacob Kaplan, Chief Rabbi of France.

Since the year 2000

edit

In January 2006, anti-semitic leaflets were found near the entrance of the synagogue, making references to The Holocaust.[5]

As of 2020, the community had about 150 families. Major renovations of the synagogue began in September 2020.[6]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Sevaux, Anne-Louise. "Déconfinement à Caen. La synagogue ne rouvrira qu'en septembre". caen.maville.com (in French). Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Marie, Juliette (May 2015). "La tardive construction de la synagogue". Ouest-France, édition de Caen (in French).
  3. ^ a b "La synagogue de Caen célèbre son 50 ème anniversaire". France 3 Normandie (in French). Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "PSS / Synagogue de Caen (Caen, France)". www.pss-archi.eu (in French). Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "Des tracts antisémites devant une synagogue de Caen". Libération.fr (in French). February 1, 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Lecornu-Baert, Nathalie (September 17, 2020). "La synagogue fait peau neuve pour Roch Hachanah". Ouest-France (in French).
edit

  Media related to Synagogue of Caen at Wikimedia Commons