Synagogue of Lausanne

Synagogue in Lausanne, Switzerland

  • Charles-François Bonjour
  • Oscar Oulevey
  • Andrien Van Dorsser
TypeSynagogue architectureStyle
  • Romanesque Revival
  • Byzantine Revival
Date establishedc. 1900 (as a congregation)Groundbreaking1908Completed1910SpecificationsDome(s)TwoMaterialsBrickOfficial nameSynagogueReference no.6202 [1]

The Synagogue of Lausanne (French: Synagogue de Lausanne) is a Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 1 Avenue de Florimont in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. The building is a Cultural Property of National Significance.

History

In the early 20th century, the Jewish community gathered in the Jean-Jacques Mercier [fr] building on Rue du Grand-Chêne in Lausanne. The community grew rapidly and wanted to have a larger place of worship.[2]

Upon the death of French merchant Daniel Iffla ("Osiris"), the City Council of Lausanne received a bequest of 50,000 francs. This donation aimed at building a new synagogue which had to be inspired from the Buffault Synagogue in Paris.[3]

The synagogue was built in 1909–1910[2] thanks to the financial support of the local Ashkenazi community.[4] The City of Lausanne also allocated 300,000 francs for the construction.[5] The building was designed by Vaudois architects Charles Bonjour, Adrien van Dorsser and Oscar Oulevey and inaugurated on November 7, 1910.[6]

The cost of land acquisition and construction totalled 280,000 francs, including 48,000 francs for the structural system and 28,000 francs for the decoration and the furniture.[2]

After WWII, the community grew and integrated Sepharadi Jews, which requested unity in the rites and the use of the synagogue.[7]

In 2010, Israelite Community of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud (CILV) celebrated the centenary of the synagogue and organised events aimed at "forging bonds with Lausanne and Vaud people",[8] including an exhibition about the history of the synagogue.[9]

The synagogue is now listed among the Cultural Property of National Significance.[10] It is used for Shabbat celebrations, but usually the daily service takes place in a smaller underground room.[6] In 1995, a liturgical music concert took place at the synagogue.[11]

Architecture

The Romanesque-Byzantine[2] synagogue has a long nave that can be reached from the vestibule. Three sides of the nave are bordered by galleries with 160 seats for women. The stalls are dedicated to men only.[2] The Almemohr has a tabernacle with the Torah scrolls, as well as the seat used by the rabbi. The paintings were made by Otto Alfred Briffod and the stained-glass windows were manufactured by the workshop Guignard & Schmid.[2] There is an adjacent sacristy. The underground floor has several locales.

See also

  • Judaism portal
  • flagSwitzerland portal
  • iconArchitecture portal

References

  1. ^ "Synagogue in Lausanne". Historic synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "La Synagogue de Lausanne". Bulletin technique de la Suisse romande (in French). Vol. 38, no. 2. January 25, 1912. pp. 19–23. doi:10.5169/seals-29467.
  3. ^ Lüthi, Dave, ed. (2016). Lausanne. Les lieux du sacré. Architecture de poche (in French). Vol. 3. Berne: Société d’histoire de l’art en Suisse. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-3-03797-277-9.
  4. ^ Hanhart, Joël (2016). Waldemar Mordekhaï Haffkine (1860-1930). biographie intellectuelle (in French). Paris: Honoré Champion. ISBN 9782745330741.
  5. ^ Signoreli, Mathieu (October 20, 2010). "Un siècle de culte juif à Lausanne". Le Temps (in French).
  6. ^ a b "Grande Synagogue de Lausanne". cisrl.ch (in French). Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Les 100 ans de la synagogue de Lausanne". pasaj.ch (in French). Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Nicollier, Marie (October 22, 2010). "La synagogue célèbre ses 100 ans en grande pompe". 24 heures (in French).
  9. ^ "Synagogue de Lausanne 1910-2010" (pdf). cilv.ch (in French). Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  10. ^ "Inventaire des biens culturels d'importance nationale". api3.geo.admin.ch (in French). Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP). Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "Concert de Musique Liturgique Juive a la Synagogue de Lausanne CD". cduniverse.com (in French). Retrieved August 17, 2012.

Bibliography

  • Lévy, Ronald; Shamgar, Eran (2010). La Synagogue de Lausanne: 100 ans de présence en Belle Fontaine (in French). Israelite community of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud.
  • Epstein-Mil, Ron; Richter, Michael (2015). Les synagogues de Suisse : construire entre émancipation, assimilation et acculturation (in French). Neuchâtel: Alphil..

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