This is a photograph of the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, Turkey from the Center for Jewish Art. The ceiling of the synagogue has a large dome with windows with a large, elaborate chandelier hanging down. The ark is at the front of the synagogue with a circular, rose-shaped window surrounded by a Hebrew verse above and behind it. The synagogue has a balcony for the women’s section.
In the middle of the twentieth century, the Jewish community in the Galata and Beyoglu districts of Istanbul increased rapidly. In order to meet the growing needs of the community, the Neve Shalom, (“oasis of peace”) Synagogue was built in 1951. The synagogue was designed by Elyo Ventura and Bernar Motola, two young Turkish-Jewish architects who were passionate about the idea of building a synagogue for the community. The most challenging aspect of the project was designing a dome strong enough to support the weight of such a large and lavish chandelier. The window was designed at the Academy of Fine Arts and the glass was imported from England. The Neve Shalom Synagogue is the central and largest Sephardi synagogue in Istanbul.
Since its opening, the Neve Shalom Synagogue has seen both joyous and tragic occasions. It has been the site of three terrorist attacks. The first occurred on Shabbat morning, September 6, 1986 when 22 people were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist. Next, on March 1, 1992, a bomb placed next to the synagogue was detonated; fortunately, there were no casualties nor damage. Finally, on Shabbat morning, November 15, 2003, the Neve Shalom Synagogue and the Bet Israel Synagogue were hit by truck bombs, killing 23 people and injuring more than 300.
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Jews in Turkey – The story of Jewish settlement in Turkey began in the fifth century BCE, and mentions of Turkish Jewish communities can be found in the writings of the first-century CE Jewish historian, Josephus. Archaeological evidence from the ancient city of Sardis shows that Jews lived there from the fourth century. With the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the situation of the Jewish community depended on the particular Sultan who was in power. The Jewish community during the Ottoman times comprised Romaniote Jews, the community from the Eastern Mediterranean, a Karaite community. In the fifteenth century, Rabbi Yitzhak Sarfati, a leader of the Turkish Jewish community, wrote a letter to European Jewry, urging them to move to Turkey as it better to live among Muslims than Christians. The next wave of Jews to arrive in Turkey were Sephardi Jews who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. The Muslims in Turkey were interested in the skills that the Jews brought, especially in the areas of commerce and printing, and treated them with tolerance. The increase in size, prosperity, and influence enjoyed by the Jewish community during the years 1300–1600 saw a decline in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as Greek influence grew. By the beginning of the twentieth century, almost 200,000 Jews lived in the Ottoman Empire. With the end of the Empire and the beginning of the nationalist, secular state of Turkey, the Jewish population of Turkey declined. During World War II, Turkey remained neutral and many Jews escaping Nazi Germany traveled through Turkey on their way to other countries. Some Turkish diplomats, working independently, saved Jews during the Holocaust. With the creation of the State of Israel, many Turkish Jews immigrated to Israel. Turkey recognized Israel in 1949, making it one of the first countries to do so, and by 1951 nearly 40% of the Turkish Jewish community had moved to Israel. In 2012, 17,400 Jews lived in Turkey, almost entirely Sephardi and most living in Istanbul. In recent years, the situation of the community has declined, and the Neve Shalom Synagogue of Istanbul has suffered three terrorist attacks. These changes are due, in particular, to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the deterioration of the diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey. There are 26 active synagogues in Istanbul today, a Jewish museum, an elementary and secondary school, various social organisations, and a Jewish newspaper.
Synagogue Design – The design of synagogues is influenced by the place, time, and community that built it. All synagogues face toward Jerusalem and include certain features such as the ark (aron hakodesh) where the Torah scrolls are kept, a curtain (parochet) in front of the ark, a prayer platform (bimah) from which the services are led , and a lamp that is kept constantly lit (ner tamid). In Orthodox synagogues men and women sit separately, while in Reform and Conservative synagogues families sit together. In many Sephardi synagogues the congregation sits around the bimah, while in Ashkenazi synagogues the congregation sit in rows facing the ark. Karaite synagogues differ from the more common synagogues and do not have any seats. While some synagogues are very simple in style, others are very ornate and include stained glass windows, intricate designs on the walls, and candelabras. There are very few traditional guidelines for synagogues except that they should include windows and be the tallest building in the area. In many places, however, Jews were not allowed to build tall buildings, and some synagogues were even built below ground level. For these reasons, synagogues were often built hidden within existing buildings or protected by a high wall. The emancipation of the Jews in nineteenth-century Western Europe impacted the architecture of synagogues, and large, elaborate synagogues were built, often in central locations.
