Kemeraltı Jewish Tour
Rabbinate
Rabbinate building was founded in 1840 with the support of Rothschild Family from Vienna. It is located in the middle of a big garden surrounded by walls in the street which was mentioned as "Rabbinate Street" once upon a time. As understood from its name, Rabbinate functioned as the office of Chief Rabbi in İzmir. In order to meet the need in "Passover" fest of İzmir Jewish Community, matzo was baked in the bakery next to Rabbinate.
Central library and Yeshiva (religious school) of İzmir Jewish Community were there until the 1930s and all formal woks of the community were conducted in Rabbinate. In 1997, Rabbinate was emptied and an office was rented in Alsancak to perform the works of the Community. Today, whole roof of the building collapsed and the walls were deformed. Konak Municipality conducts the restoration project studies of Rabbinate. Rabbinate is around Havra Street in Kemeraltı.
Algazi Synagogue
Located in Street 927 and number 73, Algazi Synagogue was built by Algazi family in 1724. Shalom Synagogue is located in the north while Senora Giveret Synagogue is located in the southwest. Today, the structure has one floor. Its plan scheme was changed under Italian influence in the 20th century, but "Mehizah" section where the women worship was removed.
Rumor has it that a young Rabbi winked at a lady, so Mehizah was demolished by the Chief Rabbi. Walls of the yard in street 927 are massive and high. Algazi Synagogue was constructed as stone masonry. Its floor covering and headlining are wooden and roof of the building is wooden construction. Nowadays, it was positioned under four columns dividing the ceiling of the synagogue which has an original place for tevya, into nine parts. Tevya on the platform heightened with four steps is covered with a green ornamental prayer rug.
Bikur Holim Synagogue
Located in İkiçeşmelik Street, Bikur Holim Synagogue was firstly built by Salomon de Ciaves with the Netherlands origin living in İzmir. The synagogue burnt in a big fire (1772), so the second synagogue was built by Manuel de Ciaves in 1800. Being the most beautiful synagogue of İzmir, Bikur Holim keeps its original appearance today as well.
There are jails of the community in basements of the synagogues located in the Ottoman cities. It is thought that basement of Bikur Holim was used for this purpose. Geometrical decorations exist above the cantilever of torah cupboard. Bikur Holim Synagogue has interior ornaments and multi-colored glamorization.
Etz Hayim Synagogue
The synagogue is located in İnkılap Street in Güzelyurt Neighborhood. It is thought that it dates back to Byzantine period when Jews came to İzmir for the first time. The synagogue burnt a few times in İzmir fires, was repaired and renovated lastly by Daniel Sidi in 1851. This synagogue was not used today and is broken down. Since it is one of old Sefarad synagogues, it was constructed based on a central plan in which its tevya is placed under four columns dividing the ceiling into nine pieces and seating arrangement surrounds this form. Nowadays, the building was turned into a linear plan having a church plan scheme. An entrance section is used to enter the building. In this section, there is a front synagogue which has a tevya on a small platform and the seats surrounding the tevya and can give service to a small community for the worships to be made in miscellaneous days. Upper floor of the entrance section is mehizah section.
There are six torah cupboards drawing attention with their woodworking. The ceiling positioning tevya between four columns which divide the place into nine rectangles and bear the roof was differentiated by putting flower ornaments in green geometrical forms.
Portugal Synagogue
It is the only synagogue describing with its name that from which country its founders migrated to İzmir. It is estimated that Portugal Synagogue was founded by the Jews with Portugal origin who migrated from the North Africa and Venice in 1569.
It is one of six synagogues known to exist in the period of Rabbi Yosef Eskapa, namely in 1620 and it is mentioned as the biggest synagogue of that period in İzmir.
Portugal Synagogue had an important role in the events happening upon the return of Sabbatai Zevi to İzmir in 1665. Regarded as the fortress of Sabbatai opponents, this synagogue closed its doors to Sabbatai Zevi after the extension of Sabataist movement. By contrast with this, Sabbatai and his supporters entered the synagogue after breaking its gate and fired rabbi of their opponents. There was also the founder of Algazi synagogue, Salomon Algazi among them. In this invasion, Sabbatai Zevi proclaimed himself as the Messiah of the Jews and salvation day as June 18, 1666. Hereafter, Portugal Synagogue became the center of the Sabataist movement and most of the Jews in İzmir joined this movement. The palace was informed when the people coming from different places of the world joined the Sabataist movement. The riot atmosphere in İzmir was smoothened after the palace called Sabbatai.
Portugal Synagogue burnt in 1976 and except its front walls, it is completely blasted.
Talmud Torah Synagogue
Located in Havra Street, the synagogue was known to be built in the 17th century. It is called as Kedose, Bet-illel Hevra and Talmud Torah. Together with the grave of Palaci and Gürçeşme Jewish Cemetery, Talmud Torah Synagogue makes up the sacred triangle which is consecrated and visited periodically by Jews. Renovated in 1838 by Hacez Brothers, the synagogue was renovated in 1870 again after it burnt in 1841. A large part of its roof was collapsed and the building is considerably blasted nowadays. Due to its 500th year anniversary, the Ministry of Culture thinks renovating the building. The synagogue has a central plan because of being one of the Sefarad synagogues. An entrance hall is used to access the main place. Mehizah is positioned on the upper floor of this entrance. This entrance section has a small front synagogue which is arranged to hold ceremonies with limited participation on miscellaneous days and has a tevya in the middle. Ground and upper floors of Talmud Torah Synagogue were constructed as masonry stone and frame, respectively. Its headlining is wooden and roof of the building is wooden construction. Its floor covering is stone. Tevya of the synagogue which has the woodworking used for heightening with eight steps and is placed on the platform resembling an ancient galley was moved to the solid section of the roof to avoid any destruction, since some part of the roof was collapsed before. Hekal wall bearing the torah cupboard was collapsed as well, so the glamorizations of the torah cupboard and hekal wall were damaged. The middle ceiling divided by four columns which bear the roof and divide the ceiling into nine parts was differentiated by putting ornaments in red- green geometrical forms.
Shaolom- Aydınlılar Synagogue
Located in Havra Street of Kemaraltı with street number 927 and door number 38, the synagogue is across Algaze Synagogue. The synagogue was known to be used in the period of Chief Rabbi Haim Eskapa and renovated twice in 1800 and 1841, respectively. The building was constructed in the 1500s and the great İzmir fire in 1841 was stopped in front of the synagogue. In its entrance gate, there is an inscription describing this event. A small garden is used to enter the building. It was constructed with a central plan, but its central plan was turned into a church-style planning, which is a linear plan scheme in the following years. Its mehizah section is small. This synagogue is not used today. Ground and upper floors of the building were constructed as masonry stone and frame, respectively. Its floor coverings and headlining are wooden and roof of the building is wooden construction. The ceiling of the main place of the synagogue, tevya was divided into nine rectangles by four columns bearing the heightened ceiling. Today, portable tevya of Shaolom Synagogue moved to hekal wall stands on a platform which is reached with six steps and resembles a galley. Tevya is covered with a claret red prayer rug with handiwork. The ceilings are decorated with geometrical forms. Colors of the glamorization and the claret red clothes with handiwork covering the torah cupboard and tevya are the items encoloring the interior…
Senora Giveret Synagogue
Senora Giveret Synagogue is located in Havra Street on the parcel facing Anafartalar Road and Street 927. It is very close to Algaze and Shalom synagogues. Known to be built between 1510 and 1569 by Donna Garcia Mendes, the building was destroyed significantly because of the fire in 1841 and rebuilt again based on a central plan by Yerushalmi family. Main place of the synagogue is reached through a terrace which was heightened from the yard with five steps. The synagogue was constructed based on a central plan just like the first building. New plan scheme which was started to be applied under Italian influence in the 20th century was used on Senora Giveret Synagogue as well and its portable tevya was moved to hekal wall and integrated with the torah cupboard. Seating orders were turned into linear style as in the interior arrangements of the churches. Today, the synagogue has linear plan scheme. Yard is used to go to mehizah located on the entrance hall which opens to the main place. This place was located as a clerestorey across hekal wall by being divided with half wooden frameworks. The building has two floors and is a single volume. Its walls were constructed as masonry stone. The roof is a wooden hipped roof. Its floor coverings and headlining are wooden.
Walls of the board yard of Seniora Giveret Synagogue were constructed in massive and high form to avoid the synagogue to be seen from the street. There are one-floored outbuilding structures in the garden of the synagogue. Interior was decorated with the bronze flowers surrounded by green geometrical forms in the ceiling, claret red clothes ornament tevyas and torah cupboard and claret red cushions of the seats.