Or Thora Synagogue (Marseille)

Or Thora Synagogue
Religion
Affiliation	Judaism (former)
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue (1962–2016) Mosque (since 2016)
Location
Location	14 rue Saint Dominique, Marseille
Country	France
Location of the former synagogue in Marseille
Geographic coordinates	43°18′01″N 5°22′48″E
Architecture
Completed	1962

The Or Thora Synagogue, also referred to as the Or Torah Synagogue ("Light of the Torah synagogue"),[1] is a former Jewish synagogue, located in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille, France. Established by pieds-noirs in 1962, it was acquired by an Islamic community in 2016 and was scheduled to become a mosque.

History

The synagogue was established by pieds-noirs from French Algeria in 1962.[2][3] It is located on the Rue Saint Dominique, off the Boulevard d'Athènes, between the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles and the Canebière, in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille.[4]

As a result of antisemitism in Marseille, the synagogue ceased operating. Concurrently, the nearby mosque, run by Al Badr, was unable to handle the weekly overcrowding.[1] The synagogue building was sold in 2016 for €400,000 to Al Badr Association, a Muslim organization. The Association planned to turn it into a mosque.[2][5][6][7]

See also

• History of the Jews in France
• List of synagogues in France

References

1. Meotti, Giulio (June 18, 2017). "Allah takes over churches, synagogues". Egret News. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
2. Fiorito, Jean-Jacques (April 26, 2016). "Marseille : la synagogue s'offre aux musulmans". La Provence (in French). Retrieved April 27, 2016.
3. "A Marseille, une synagogue bientôt transformée en mosquée". L'Express (in French). April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
4. "Les Synagogues". Consistoire de Marseille (in French). Retrieved April 27, 2016.
5. "Sold Marseille synagogue to become mosque". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
6. Peyrach, Amaury (April 26, 2016). "A Marseille, une synagogue va devenir une mosquée". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved April 27, 2016.
7. Arbaoui, Larbi (May 6, 2016). "Muslim Association Purchase Synagogue, Converts it to Mosque". Morocco World News. Retrieved June 6, 2024.

External links

• Schwartz, Yaakov (December 6, 2020). "Work, history and dialogue keep Jews, Muslims happy together in sunny Marseille". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 6, 2024.