Synagogue

The Synagogue in the Cetate Neighbourhood is a monumental building of Timișoara, built between 1863 and 1865, in Eclectic style, with elements of the Moorish style, by architect Ignatz Schumann. The initiative of building a bigger synagogue in Cetate belonged to Rabbi Mauriciu Hirschfeld. It was meant to host the major events of the Jewish community, continuously growing in number around 1849. The Synagogue was inaugurated on September 19, 1865. The building was erected as a rectangle, and that which singularizes it is the façade with the two massive towers, ending in cupolas. In the middle of the main façade there is a stained glass rosette. The Synagogue is endowed with a Wegenstein organ, installed in 1866. The marble plaque at the entrance, inscribed in Hungarian, speaks about the second inauguration of the Synagogue in 1868, in the presence of Emperor Franz Josef. 1868 has a historical significance in two respects: it is the year of the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, and also the year when Jews in the Empire finally obtained full citizenship. Given the decrease of the Jewish Community after departure to Israel after the Second World War, the Synagogue was closed in 1985. In 2001, the Jewish Community of Timișoara leased the building to the Societatea Filarmonica for a period of 50 years, for it to be used as a concert hall. The Synagogue was reopened in 2005, for a concert organised by Societatea Filarmonica of Timișoara. Text source: https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Synagogue in Fabric Neighbourhood, also known as the New Synagogue or the Moorish Synagogue, was built between 1895 and 1899, in Neo-Moorish style, with elements typical of the Italian Neo-Renaissance style. The construction was performed based on Hungarian architect Lipót Baumhorn's design. It is a square building, with numerous towers and cupolas. The central cupola, equipped with eight rosettes and connected to the exterior walls through deep semi-circular arches, is impressive. The Synagogue is endowed with an organ manufactured in the workshop of Leopold Wegenstein. The Synagogue was inaugurated on September 3, 1899. It belonged to the Spanish Jewish Community in Fabric. Given the decrease of the Jewish Community after departure to Israel after the Second World War, the Synagogue was closed in 1985. In 2009, the Jewish Community of Timișoara leased the building to the National Theatre of Timișoara for a period of 35 years, for it to be used as a theatre hall. Text and photo sources: https://ro.m.wikipedia.org/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Synagogue in the Iosefin Neighbourhood, also called the Orthodox Temple, was built between 1906 and 1910, in Eclectic style, with Moorish and Neo-Gothic elements. Currently, this is the only functioning synagogue in Timișoara, since the Jewish community here only has about 600 members. The Jewish community in town meet in the Iosefin Synagogue on holidays or Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, for the religious service. The Synagogue also hosts a special event for the Jewish community, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah - the Jewish coming of age ceremony. Also the great services of the New Year or Ros Hasana are performed there. The holiday begins on the first day of the New Year in the Mosaic tradition, and it ends 10 days later, with the very strict Yom Kippur fasting. Text and photo sources: https://ro.wikipedia.org/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/