In front of you stands the Great Synagogue de la Paix. Completed in 1958, it was built to replace the consistorial synagogue on Quai Kléber, which had been burned down and destroyed by the Nazis. Its resolutely modern architecture, which contrasts with that of the vanished building, has earned it the label "Remarkable Contemporary Architecture" awarded by the Ministry of Culture.
Let's start with some key dates in the history of this monumental building.
In November 1950, after lengthy negotiations, an exchange agreement was concluded between the municipality and the Jewish community of Strasbourg. The land of the former synagogue on Quai Kléber was ceded to the City in exchange for this plot of land located on the edge of the Parc des Contades.
The reconstruction project includes not only the construction of a synagogue but also the construction of a real community centre. The architect Claude Meyer-Lévy was selected. Living in Paris, he called on his colleagues from Strasbourg, Jean-Paul Berst and René Heller.
The consecration of the Synagogue de la Paix took place on March 23, 1958, in the presence of a huge assembly in an atmosphere of fervor and emotion.
The architect has designed a sober concrete vessel, of great modernity, while preserving the traditional symbolic references of Judaism. The building is in the form of a vast nave, flanked by two wings housing the ancillary rooms. The high vault is supported by twelve columns evoking the twelve tribes of Israel. The first two, flanking the outer portal, are reminiscent of the two brazen columns placed by Solomon at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem. Guardians of the Temple, they symbolize under the names of Yakin and Boaz, stability on the one hand, and strength and courage on the other. Inside, the other ten columns evoke the Ten Commandments.
The main facade facing the Avenue de la Paix is composed of a network of Stars of David. This monumental clerestory structure is the work of the Parisian ironworker Gérard Poillerat, to whom we also owe a large part of the interior decoration. At its base, the gate, also made of iron, is decorated with the emblems of the twelve tribes. Above the portal is an inscription in Hebrew from the book of Zechariah: "Stronger than the sword is my spirit." Emerging from the Holocaust, it is a message of hope, strength and resilience.
If the public cannot spontaneously visit the interior of the building, here are some indications about the synagogue. It has a basilica plan and consists of a long nave, twenty-two meters high, lined with galleries for women. Sliding walls allow the volume of the room to be adjusted between daily services and large celebrations. At the end of the nave, the platform rises gradually towards the Holy Ark, a small round wrought iron sanctuary. The interchangeable curtain of the Holy Ark is a tapestry by Jean Lurçat. It depicts the traditional lions announcing the kingship of the Torah as well as the burning bush of Moses. Two monumental chandeliers commemorating the miracle of the Hanukkah lights illuminate the stage. On the pediment, an inscription in Hebrew asks: "Don't we all have the same father?"
This synagogue of Ashkenazi rite can accommodate 1,650 worshippers. The building also houses several oratories, a community center, a kindergarten, a primary school and cultural and religious meeting rooms of this community.
In the 2000s, this complex was extended and reorganized. A pretty Sephardic synagogue, frequented by families from North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco) and a cultural space, the headquarters of several Jewish youth associations, complete this monumental ensemble representing the place of the Jewish community in the urban landscape of Strasbourg. .
Fruit of this long history, the Jewish community today is a thriving community, one of the most dynamic and important in France with more than 20,000 people.
Exterior and interior photos of the Synagogue de la Paix and Ramban
@Francoise Elkouby @Carole Wenner
