Jewish Heritage Europe

Portugal: The town of Ourém will purchase what may have been a medieval synagogue, hoping to restore it as a tourism site

After reaching an agreement with the private owners, the City Council of Ourém, in central Portugal, has announced it will purchase the remains of what may have been the town’s medieval synagogue, hoping to restore it to form part of … continue reading →

Pipe Organs in Synagogues — Pride and Polemics. (See pix and access an article and music)

Ark in the Fabric synagogue, Timisoara, showing the organ behind and above it. Photo © Anna Szentgyörgyi

Having an organ in a synagogue is a fairly recent innovation, related to the emancipation of the Jews and spread of reform Judaism in the 19th century.  The introduction of a pipe organ into a synagogue sometimes sparked heated polemics. … continue reading →