Sheikh Mordechai Synagogue
| Sheikh Mordechai Synagogue | |
|---|---|
Armenian: Շեյք Մորդեխայ սինագոգ | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue (1850–1924) |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Location | |
| Location | Yerevan |
| Country | Armenia |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | c. 1840 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1860 |
| Destroyed | 1924 |
Sheikh Mordechai Synagogue (Armenian: Շեյք Մորդեխայ սինագոգ), was a Sephardic Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Up until 1924, Sheikh Mordechai was a leading institution and center of communal Jewish life for Jews in Armenia.[1][2]
History
The Jewish community in Armenia has a history of 2,000 years, when first Jewish groups settled in Armenia after the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.[1]
From 1840, two groups of Jews existed in Armenia, Ashkenazis from the Russian Empire and Sephardis from Persia. Both communities had their own separate houses of worship and community leaders.[3] The Sheikh Mordechai Synagogue began operating in 1860 to serve the Persian Sephardic population of Yerevan. The Persian language was used along with Hebrew in prayer at the synagogue.[4] The synagogue remained in use until 1924 when it was destroyed under the Soviet Union.
As of 2009 the Jewish population in Armenia was around 500–1,000 with one synagogue in Yerevan.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Vladimirsky, Irena (2009). "Jews in Armenia". In Mark Avrum Ehrlich (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. Vol. 3. ABC-Clio. p. 1105. ISBN 9781851098736.
- ^ Seidel, Jeffrey (2000). Jewish Travelers' Resource Guide 2000. Feldheim Publishers. p. 21. ISBN 9781583304099.
- ^ Hovhannisyan, Hasmik (26 March 2007). Baghdasaryan, Erik (ed.). "There Have Always Been Jews in Armenia". Hetq Online. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Karpenko, Ilya (July 2008). "В СТРАНЕ МНОГОЦВЕТНОГО ТУФА [IN THE LAND OF MULTICOLORED TUFF]". Lechaim Magazine. No. 195. Retrieved 19 October 2021.