Historic and Significant Synagogues in Israel

For thousands of years, the Jewish people have created beautiful houses of worship. Not surprisingly, Israel houses a number of historically and/or architecturally significant synagogues that are open to tourists looking to pray or just take in the holy sites.

The Hurva Synagogue serves almost as an embodiment of the story of the Jewish people- it has been nearly destroyed and then resurrected many times throughout history. Work began on the original building in 1700 and the most recent restoration took place in 2010.

The Sephardic Synagogues are a complex of four synagogues that served the Jews of Jerusalem from 1267 until the Jordanians conquered Jerusalem in 1948. After Israel's reclamation of the city in 1967, the buildings were fully restored.

The Peki'in Old Synagogue is cared for by a scion of a family that lived in the Peki'in village for 2,000 years. No one knows how old the building is; the last time it was restored was 1890.

The Or Torah (Tunisian) Synagogue is literally covered in mosaics and stained glass windows, making it one of the world's most beautiful and unique synagogues.

The Sephardic Synagogue of the Ari is Tsefat's oldest house of worship. It was originally dedicated to Elijah the Prophet, almost 300 years before the Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria) came to Tsefat in the 16th century and prayed there.