Significant progress has been made in the painstaking, but long-stalled, restoration of the 17th Century Great Synagogue in Iaşi, Romania. The scaffolding that had shrouded the building since 2005 has come down, revealing the restored exterior (which leaves the stone work exposed) and new roof. Work is also progressing on the interior.
Architect Lucia Apostol, of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FEDROM), who has pursued and advocated for this project for years, has sent a series of photographs documenting the current status of the synagogue. They clearly demonstrate the progress made since the building, the oldest surviving synagogue in Romania, was placed on the World Monuments Fund 2014 watch list, and in February 2014 received a grant toward restoration from the David Berg Foundation, through the WMF.
In a blog post about the restoration, Sam Gruber writes that:
One aspect of the building worth noting – and now clearly visible – is the slight apse-like protrusion on the exterior of the Ark wall. Variants of this unusual feature, which allows greater depth to the Ark cabinet, is not entirely unknown in synagogue design. Similar Ark protrusions can be found in the 16th and 17th century synagogues of Venice, and later examples are known elsewhere.
This is seen in the photo below.
Dr. Apostol writes that the WMF designation marked a turning point:
Subsequent to the nomination on 2014 Watch (and particularly after the Watch Day of June 2014) and some pressure from FEDROM, government funds started to flow for the conservation works. It is not anymore wishful thinking to expect that the conservation project may be done by this fall. It is also with great joy that we see the synagogue without the scaffold that had became an intrinsic part of the edifice for so long (from 2005). This is is also the time to commend the wonderful work done by the contractor for the construction works. We enjoyed immensely their cooperation, their dedication and their being there for us.
The new photos show the work being carried out on the interior of the building, around the elaborate wooden Ark — which itself requires extensive restoration.
For comparison — here is a “throwback” photo showing how the synagogue looked for years, while the restoration work was stalled. In her presentation at the April 2013 conference in Krakow on Managing Jewish Immovable Heritage in Europe, Lucia Apostol focused on what was then a dire situation.
2 comments on “Significant progress at Restoration of Iaşi Great Synagogue”
do you have photos of the synagogue BEFORE it was damaged – inside & out ?
We have published or linked to many pictures of the Iasi synagogue. Just search for Iasi on our web site.