Antakya Synagogue

The Antakya Synagogue is located in Antakya, Turkey near the border with Syria. It serves the few remaining members of the once thriving, 2,300-year-old Jewish community of ancient Antioch (now largely composed of descendants of Syrian Jews[1]) that, by 2014, had shrunk to fewer than 20 members.[2][3][4]

The building was erected in 1890. Because Antakya is north of Jerusalem, the synagogue is built with the Torah Ark on the southern wall in a semi-circular apse. (Joel A. Zack, Historic synagogues of Turkey, 2008, p. 188)

The synagogue was badly damaged in the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.[5]

See also

References
  1. Zvi Bar'el, "Head of tiny Jewish community in Turkey: There's no love between Israeli citizens", Haaretz, August 12, 2013.
  2. Danya Chudakoff, "Turkey's Jewish community longs for the past: With only 18 members remaining, Antakya's Jewish community struggles to hold onto its rich history and culture." Al Jazeera, May 14, 2014.
  3. Shirin Ghermezian, "Only 18 Members Remain in 2,300-Year-Old Turkish Jewish Community Following Political, Economic Turmoil", Algemeiner Journal, May 19, 2014.
  4. Michael Kaplan, "Jews Spent Centuries in Antakya, Turkey. Now, There's Only 17 Left.", The Jewish Daily Forward, October 28, 2014.
  5. "Turkey earthquake: 2500-year-old Jewish presence in Antakya may come to an end". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-02-15.

36.20024242168357°N 36.16444491052476°E / 36.20024242168357; 36.16444491052476


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