The long disused synagogue in Elbeuf, in Normandy, is one of 18 “emblematic” sites of heritage at risk targeted for action in 2023 by the Heritage Mission led by French TV presenter Stephane Bern.
These sites will benefit from proceeds from a national Heritage Lottery — Loto du Patrimoine — that was created in 2018 to raise funds for monuments at risk. The sites are selected by the Bern Mission, an arm of the Heritage Foundation backed by the Ministry of Culture and the body organising France’s state lotteries. The first drawing will take place during European Heritage Days in September.
The synagogue was built in 1909 by Jews who had moved there from Alsace following the annexation of Alsace by Germany following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 . The Nazis used it as a stable during World War II, and the building still bears yellow stars of David painted on outer walls.
See a trailer for a 2015 documentary about efforts to protect the yellow stars:
The synagogue was restored to some extent after the war and used for worship until the 1990s, when it was closed because of deteriorating condition. Owned by the Jewish consistory, it was listed as a national historic monument in 2009.
The City of Elbeuf, the consistory, and an association set up to promote restoration of the synagogue want to see it restored as a cultural space that will also include a museum of local Jewish history, as well as a synagogue where events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs can take place.
The Heritage Foundation estimates that costs for full restoration will top €3 million.
It describes the building as being in a serious state of disrepair, largely due to water infiltration. Blocked and faulty drainage threatens both the exterior and interior.
Restoration is planned to begin in 2024 and be completed by 2027.
As laid out by the Heritage Foundation, the aim would be to conserve the synagogue’s original 1909 appearance but also preserve the World War II defacements. It would also upgrade the interior infrastructure.
“Today, the building is undoubtedly one of the last in France still bearing the marks of antisemitism from the years of the Occupation,” the Culture Ministry and Heritage Foundation web sites state.
It is a precious testimony to the importance of the Jewish community of the city of Elbeuf, and more particularly of the great families who contributed to the expansion of the city through the textile industry, whose industrial heritage is now experiencing a renewal by numerous reconversions.
The first phase would tackle urgent restoration work on the roof and other structural features.
Later phases would entail:
Restoration of the facade and, inside, restoration of the bimah, the prayer room, the staircase leading to the women’s gallery, the vestibule, the pantry, the staircase leading to the Rabbi’s apartment and the apartment itself.
See the Culture Ministry page about the synagogue project
See the Heritage Foundation web page about the synagogue project
The Bern Heritage Mission web site