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Synagogue Chasseloup Laubat

48 50 '51 "N 2 18' 17" E / 48.8474, 2.30486

Overview of the synagogue

The synagogue of the street-Chasseloup Laubat in Paris ( ^15th arrondissement ) is one of the last monumental synagogues as high aesthetic developed during the ^nineteenth century which saw both the effective emancipation of Jews from France and integration into a society that imposed their values and behaviors, even religious. Undeniable success, she concludes, beautifully, which is known as "the golden age of the synagogues" French.

/ / History

It existed in the early ^twentieth century a small chapel located avenue de La Motte-Picquet in the ^15th arrondissement of Paris, but it is insufficient for the community, already established for fifty years. The Consistory of Paris Association decided to build a synagogue and buys dated May 21 and 15 November 1910 , before a master and harness the consistory Bourdel notaries, land of 754 square meters located street-Chasseloup Laubat to Widow Grouselle for the sum of 130,000 francs. Baron Edmond de Rothschild , vice president and president of the Consistory of Paris, takes over the construction of the synagogue for the sum of 340,000 francs and Pavilion Housing Annex estimated at 56,000 francs.

The architect Lucien Bechmann , who had already been chosen by the Rothschilds for the reconstruction of the Rothschild Hospital , was selected for the construction of the synagogue. Relations with Baron Rothschild are so difficult that many times Bechmann decides to retire, but J. Wormser, who worked for Edmond de Rothschild happens each time to persuade him to stay. By 1910, Bechman made several sketches for the synagogue, but not until November 1911 , that J. Wormser can tell him that his last plan received the approval of the baron: "Great success. Hagia Sophia liked. It is in this sense that we must quickly continue your study. " As the Synagogue de Boulogne Billancourt , already funded by Baron Rothschild, designed by architect Emmanuel Pontremoli Elisha , and inaugurated two months ago, the synagogue street-Chasseloup Laubat will influence Byzantine.

The building permit is obtained the 26 September 1912 and a year later, on 29 September 1913 , the synagogue was formally dedicated during the Christmas Tishri. The grand rabbi of Paris, Jacques-Henri Dreyfuss, in his speech thanked the Baron de Rothschild for his generosity and commended the young architect Bechmann, he compares to Bezalel , the chief architect of the Tabernacle.

Marcel Sachs , a rabbi in St. Etienne , was appointed in 1914 , rabbi of the synagogue Chasseloup-Laubat. He remained until his retirement in 1958. During the Second World War , he managed to flee to Lyon in the free zone to join the new headquarters of the Central and the Grand Rabbinate of France, riding on a locomotive disguised as a railroad worker.

On 4 May 2009 , in the presence of the Grand Rabbi of France and the chaplain general of the armed Jewish, synagogue-Chasseloup Laubat is consecrated during a military ceremony, synagogue hosts.

The current president (2009) by Georges Mezrahi Synagogue and Rabbi Maurice Nezri.

Architecture

Entrance to the synagogue

While other large synagogues consistorial built 30-35 years ago, as the Great Synagogue in the Rue de la Victoire ( 1874 ), the synagogue of the Rue des Tournelles ( 1876 ) or the synagogue street Buffault ( 1877 ) have their main front directly overlooking the street, Bechmann takes the side of a synagogue inspired Byzantine style, with an entrance through a courtyard.

The synagogue is built on a square. The vestibule provides access to the galleries for women as well as two supporting documents for an oratory for one week and another reception room and meeting rooms.

The building consists of different volumes perfectly discernible from the outside. The entrance and adjoining rooms are located in a first rectangular body, pierced with semicircular arched windows, each separated by columns by arch and in the middle by a porch supported by two columns of black marble, surmounted by a gable crowned Tables of the Law. This front is followed by a small semi-cylindrical volume, which allows to enter the prayer hall.

The magnificent wooden frame and the lantern tower

To the outside the building, Bechmann selected as a main material beige brick, decorated with a white stone for chaining angle, rosettes, archways and corbels. The prayer hall, square, three walls are drilled up to the first floor of a rosette with eight lobes, is topped by a lantern tower of wood. The interior of the synagogue is distinguished from other synagogues built at the same time the originality of its wooden structure and its very slender wooden poles, supporting the galleries railings as wood. The beams and pillars form a tangle harmonious cleverly calculated. The room of 13 square meters at a height of fifteen feet atop the small dome. The women's gallery, all in wood, on the first floor, runs on three sides of the room.

For the decoration of the synagogue, Bechmann originally designed decorative patterns varied, such as interlacing, stars, rosettes, but he preferred the simplicity and limited to the Star of David , which is found on the capitals of two columns on both sides of the porch, on the mosaic above the tympanum lead to the prayer room on the chandeliers, woodwork ( bimah , Ark, home of the rabbi) and on the windows.

The Hebrew date Elul 5673 (September 29, 1913) of the consecration of the synagogue is listed on the tympanum above the door leading to the prayer hall.

Overview of the structure supporting the timber frame

The Ark of wood, located on the wall opposite the entrance, is simple and lacks ornament as a Star of David, carved in low relief. It is surmounted by the Tables of the Law also carved in wood. As with all consistorial synagogues erected at that time, the bimah (altar) is located in front of the Ark, and not at the center of the room as to the synagogues orthodox.

The windows of stained glass rose windows and large windows with semicircular arch beneath the rosettes or both sides of rosettes provide natural lighting in warm colors in perfect harmony with the stone walls and woodwork. The candlesticks , the chandeliers and sconces that the shape of glasses has been specially designed by the architect, complete this light.