Patrick Comerford
Yehuda Amichai’s ‘Poem Without an End,’ translated from the Hebrew by Chana Bloch, is quoted by Simon Schama in his Belonging, the Story of the Jews, 1492-1900 (Penguin, 2017):
Poem Without an End (שיר אינסופי)
Inside the brand-new museum
there’s an old synagogue.
Inside the synagogue
is me.
Inside me
my heart.
Inside my heart
a museum.
Inside the museum
a synagogue,
inside it
me,
inside me
my heart,
inside my heart
a museum.
Over the past ten years or so, I have visited, blogged or written 228 synagogues and Jewish historical sites in at least two dozen countries on three continents.
I have visited 42 synagogues, and the sites of past synagogues, or burial grounds in Ireland and 96 in England, and in all I have visited, blogged about or written about in the region of 221 or so synagogues and Jewish sites, and sites of former synagogues and Jewish history and Jewish museums in 24 countries on three continents, including: Afghanistan (2), Albania (1), Austria (5), China (1), the Czech Republic (7), England (96), Finland (1), France (8), Germany (2), Gibraltar (1), Greece (12), Hungary (4), Ireland (42), Isle of Man (1), Italy (12), Malaysia (1), Malta (2), Morocco (2), Myanmar (1), Poland (9), Portugal (4), Singapore (3), Slovakia (5) and Spain (6).
Before I began this blog, I had also visited synagogues and Jewish communities in Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel and the West Bank, Romania and Turkey. But I have also visited many synagogues and former synagogues in Ireland, including Dublin, Derry, Limerick and Waterford.
So, having blogged throughout September and October 2019 about Dublin synagogues, I regularly continue to revise this list of my blog postings on synagogues. I plan to up-date this list in the future as I continue to write about visits to synagogues and Jewish sites around the world.
Afghanistan:
1, Yu Aw Synagogue, Herat (9 December 2022)
Jewish life in Afghanistan:
2, The last Jew of Kabul (20 August 2021)
Albania:
1, Saranda: the fifth-century synagogue of Onchesmos (29 August 2019)
Austria:
Vienna:
1, The mediaeval Or-Sarua Synagogue, Vienna (13 November 2019)
2,The Stadttempel or City Synagogue, Seitenstettengasse, Vienna (14 November 2019)
3, The Sephardic prayer house, Upper Danube Street, Vienna (14 November 2019)
4, The ‘Turkish Temple’ (Sephardic Synagogue), Zirkusgasse 22, Vienna (14 November 2019)
5, The Montefiore Prayer House (Bethaus Montefiore), Taborstrasse 38, Vienna (20 November 2019)
China:
1, The Jewish community of Hong Kong (19 April 2006).
Czech Republic:
Prague:
1, The ‘Old-New’ Synagogue (29 January 2019)
2, The High Synagogue (30 January 2019)
3, The Maisel Synagogue (30 January 2019)
4, The Klausen Synagogue (31 January 2019)
5, The Spanish Synagogue (31 January 2019)
6, The Pinkas Synagogue (1 February 2019)
7, The Jerusalem Synagogue (6 May 2023)
England:
Befordshire:
1, Bedford, Mediaeval Jewish communities and synagogues in Bedford (12 July 2024)
Birmingham:
2, Singers Hill Synagoue, Birmingham (25 August 2023)
3, The former Severn Street Synagogue, Birmingham (1 September 2023)
4, The former Wrottesley Street Synagogue, Birmingham (8 September 2023)
Jewish life in Birmingham:
5, The Jewish Heritage of Birmingham (17 August 2013)
6, Jewish family life in the Birmingham Back-to-Backs (15 September 2023)
Buckinghamshire:
Milton Keynes:
7, Bletchley: Bletchley Hebrew Congregaion (1 December 2023)
8, Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue (25 November 2022)
9, The Wolverton United Synagogue Membership Group, or the Haversham Jewish Community, New Bradwell and Haversham (24 March 2023)
Cambridge:
10, Cambridge Jewry and the Jewish community in mediaeval Cambridge (19 July 2024)
11, The Cambridge Synagogue and Jewish Student Centre (20 July 2013)
12, The Round Church, Bridge Street … was it the site of a mediaeval synagogue (20 July 2013)
13, The site of the mediaeval synagogue, the Guildhall, Market Hill (20 July 2013) and HERE (19 July 2024)
14, The Jewish congregation, Petty Cury, ca 1888 (20 July 2013)
15, The Jewish congregation, Saint Mary’s Passage, near King’s College ca 1900 (20 July 2013)
16, The Jewish congregation, Sidney Street, opposite Sidney Sussex College ca 1912 (20 July 2013)
Other Jewish links in Cambridge:
17, Portugal Place, home to Sephardic refugees in the 17th century (20 July 2013)
Cornwall:
18, The synagogues and Jewish communities of Cornwall (18 October 2019)
Coventry:
19, Barras Lane Synagogue (30 June 2023)
20, the former synagogue at 16 Spon Street, Coventry (30 June 2023)
21, Coventry Jewish Reform Community (7 July, 2023)
22, Historic Jewish life in Coventry (14 July 2023)
Essex:
23, The synagogue and Jewry, Stockwell Street, mediaeval Colchester (17 January 2025)
24, The late 18th century Synagogue (early 1790s), Synagogue Yard, Angel Lane, Stockwell Street, Colchester (24 January 2025)
25, Colchester and District Jewish Community (CDJC) synagogue, Colchester (24 January 2025)
Hertfordshire:
26, Jewish life in Berkhamsted, mediaeval and modern (24 November 2023)
27, St Albans Synagogue (United Synagogue) (19 January 2024)
28, Former Synagogue, 54 Clarence Road, St Albans (19 January 2024)
29, Saint Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS), St Albans (2 February 2024)
30, Watford and District Synagogue, Nascot Road, Watford (28 March 2025)
31, (former) Watford and District Synagogue, Clarendon Road, Watford (28 March 2025)
32, (former) Jewish congregation, 91 Queen’s Road, Watford (28 March 2025)
Leicestershire:
33, Jewry Wall and the mediaeval Jewish community, Leicester (17 May 2024)
34, Leicester Hebrew Congregation, Highfield Street, Leicester (24 May 2024)
35, Neve Shalom, Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, Avenue Road, Leicester (31 May 2024)
London:
36, The site in Old Jewry of the Great Synagogue of London until 1271 (29 April 2016)
37, Kehillas Ya’akov, Commercial Road, Stepney (1 February 2018)
38, The site of a synagogue at Threadneedle Street, built in 1231 (17 February 2019)
39, The Bevis Marks Synagogue, Bevis Mark (22 January 2020)
40, The site of the former Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue, Whitechapel (23 January 2020)
41, The site of the former Brick Lane Synagogue (23 January 2020)
42, The site of the former Creechurch Lane Synagogue (6 March 2020)
43, The site of the former Great Synagogue, Duke’s Lane (6 March 2020)
44, Sandy’s Row Synagogue (9 March 2020)
45, Princelet Street Synagogue (10 March 2020)
46, The Spital Square Poltava Synagogue, 2 Heneage Street (24 February 2023)
47, the former Artillery Lane Synagogue, near Liverpool Street Station (28 February 2023)
48, the former Gun Street Synagogue, near Spitalfields (1 March 2023)
49, The East London Central Synagogue, also known as Nelson Street Synagogue, founded as the Nelson Street Sfardish Synagogue (2 March 2023)
50, the Konin Synagogue, 48 Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
51, the Glory of Israel and Sons of Klatsk Synagogue, No 50½ Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
52, the Poltava Synagogue, No 50½ Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
53, the Brethren of Suwalki Synagogue, No 56 Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
54, Hanbury Street Synagogue, 60 Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
55, the Lovers of Peace Synagogue and the Voice of Jacob Synagogue, both at 183/185 Hanbury Street (3 March 2023)
56, the former Hambro’ Synagogue (6 March 2023)
57, the former New Synagogue, Leadenhall Street (17 March 2023)
58, the Central Synagogue, Great Portland Street, London (19 May 2023)
59, Hampstead Synagogue (15 November 2024).
60, The former Beit HaSepher Synagogue, Soho Square (14 February 2025)
61, The former West End Talmud Torah and Bikkur Holim synagogue, Manette Street, Soho (14 February 2025)
62,, The former West End Great Synagogue, Dean Street, Soho (14 February 2025)
63, The site the West Central Liberal Synagogue and the Club House, Alfred Place (28 February 2025)
64, The Montagu Centre, Maple Street, offices of Liberal Judaism, former home of the West Central Liberal Jewish Synagogue (28 February 2025)
65, Western Marble Arch Synagogue, Wallenberg Place (7 March 2025)
66,West London Synagogue, Upper Berkeley Street and Seymour Street (14 March 2023)
See also:
67, The Anne Frank Tree, the British Library (4 August 2023)
68, The Anne Frank Bust, the British Library (13 October 2023)
69, London sculptures by Naomi Blake (6 March 2025)
70, Raoul Wallenberg Memorial, Wallenberg Place, near Hyde Park, London (8 March 2025)
Norfolk:
71, Mediaeval synagogue, Norwich city centre (5 April 2024)
72, Norwich Synagogue, 2 Tombland Alley, 1828-1848 (5 April 2024)
73, Norwich Synagogue, Synagogue Street, 1849-1942 (5 April 2024)
74, Norwich Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, Earlham Road (5 April 2024)
Northamptonshire:
75, The mediaeval synagogue, Sheep Street (3 February 2023)
76, Northampton Hebrew Congregation, Overstone Road (10 February 2023)
Oxford:
77, Oxford Jewish Centre (16 September 2022) and HERE (1 April 2022)
78, Site of mediaeval synagogue, opposite Pennyfarthing Lane (16 September 2022)
79, The Oxford Centre for Hebrew Jewish Studies, Clarendon Institute, Walton Street (16 September 2022)
80, Osney Abbey, Oxford, and the site of the execution of Robert of Reading, convert to Judiasm, in 1222 (22 December 2023)
81, Dead Man’s Walk, the route for Jewish funerals in 12th and 13th century Oxford (5 January 2024)
82, The mediaeval Jewish cemetery, Oxford (29 March 2024)
Peterborough:
83, Peterborough Hebrew Congregation, formerly on 142 Cobden Avenue (17 August 2019)
Staffordshire:
84, Wolverhampton Hebrew Congregation, now Saint Silas Church (29 September 2023).
85, The figure of Sinagoga, blindfolded by a snake, Lichfield Cathedral (2 July 2020).
Yorkshire:
Knaresborough:
86, The mediaeval synagogue, Knaresborough (12 May 2023)
Sheffield:
87, Sheffield Hebrew Congregation, or the Great Synagogue, Figtree Lane, Sheffield (19 August 2022)
88, Sheffield Hebrew Congregation, or the Great Synagogue, North Church Street, Sheffield (19 August 2022)
89, Sheffield Central Synagogue, Campo Lane. Sheffield (19 August 2022)
70, Sheffield Hebrew Congregation, Wilson Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield (19 August 2022)
91, United Synagogue, Sheffield, Psalter Lane (19 August 2022)
92, Sheffield and District Reform Jewish Congregation (19 August 2022)
York:
93, Clifford’s Tower and the massacre of 1190, York (22 September 2022)
94, The mediaeval and modern synagogues of York (23 September 2022)
95, The mediaeval Jewish cemetery at Jewbury, York (24 September 2022)
See also:
96, The ‘Five Sisters’ or ‘Jewish Window’ in the north transept of York Minster, and the figure of Sinagoga, blindfolded by a snake, Saint Wilfred’s Church or Oratory Church, York (6 October 2023)
Finland:
1, Helsinki Synagogue and Finland's Jewish community (20 January 2023).
France:
1, The Synagogue Agoudas Hakehilos (Pavée Synagogue), rue de Pavée, Paris (9 February 2024)
2, the Fondation Roger Fleischman, rue des Ecouffes, Paris (16 February 2024)
3, the former Synagogue Beit Yossef, rue des Ecouffes, Paris (16 February 2024)
4, the Tephilat Israel or Frank-Forter Synagogue, rue du Bourg Tibourg, Paris (16 February 2024)
5, the Mémorial de la Shoah, the Tomb of the Unknown Jewish Martyr and the Wall of the Righteous, 17 rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, Paris (23 February 2024)
6, the Jewish Museum of Art and History (mahJ), the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, 71 Rue de Temple, Paris (1 March 2024)
7, the Jewish school, rue des Hospitalières-Saint-Gervais, the Marais, Paris, and 260 Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust (8 March 2024)
8, Exhibition on the Jews of Thessaloniki at the Museum of Jewish Art and History, Paris (15 March 2024).
Germany:
Berlin:
1, The New Synagogue, Oranienburger strasse (13 September 2018).
2, The Alten (Old) Synagogue (31 December 2018)
Gibraltar:
1, the Great Synagogue of Gibraltar or Shaar Hashamyim Synagogue (8 November 2024)
2 comments:
Fascinating, thanks so much!
Interesting to have this information and so freely available given the history of the past. One can either set it aside or relive it and fortunately the former in this case.
Given that St. Mary's Limerick is part of our de Vere Hunt history, our Haplogroup has proven to be a tiny stub on a very sustantial current Ashkenazi line of about thirty surnames. The link is 500 BCE but the suggestion is that our twig is so lean that we would have suffered many 1st millenium holocausts like that under Robert II of France. A passover leaving only one perhaps in our community.
It also firmed up all the male de Vere Hunt connections (this would make a brilliant major article.
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As a further irony, my third great grandmother Maria Bellendon Hunt buried in Dublin was according Courland convention Maria Bellendon Baroness Pfeilitzer-Franck, her father born in Russian Courland and mother in St. Kitts as the Mauduit-Garveys.
Further Jewish sources have pointed out to a rare point of joy in their European history about 1764, when Limerick Livonian interlopers, de Lacey and Browne decided to pogrom the Russian Jews. Intervention was swift by former Prince Regent and recently restored Duke of Courland and Semigallia Ernst Johann von Biron, related by several marriages and his Oberggraf Franz George von Pfeilitzer genannt Franck my 6th great grandfather.
Instead, Catherine the great not only shifted course but actually moved the Livonian Russian border to annex the large Russian Jewish settlement to Riga, Livonia. So this gave the Jews pretty close to the freedom of the city.
Again this is not my interpretation but that of the one of the official Jewish sites.
A shift like this from Catherine is rare so a very proud moment for my odd brand of Irish Limerick history. I will be visiting the two ducal/royal vaults in Rundale and Jelgava (Mitau) to see the sarcophagus of my 6th ggf and all my close royal house of von Biron (confirmed in the Council of Vienna 1814) stepcousins (though related by blood a little further back). Certainly they make the Windsors rather tame by comparison.
To the best of my abilities, my fourth ggf was already well integrated with a fantastic Roladex of Irish nobles by 1798 and there are a few odd things even from his life in the Irish Museum and National Library but the most likely meeting point between Charles and Maria was the visit of King George IV for many different reasons.
I should add that I am deeply indepted to your work on Bedell-Stanford as Luke was the cousin of my ancestor, James Magrath of Cavan (thus relating perhaps distant the two great musical figues of Ireland; Charles Villiers Stanford and Henry Bettesworth Phillips and on the Southwells and Browns et al, which are with my Cork family
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