Great Synagogue of Iași

What makes it special

From the street the building sits low, behind a small garden. Because no building could rise above the metropolitan church, the 1671 stone synagogue was built about a metre into the ground. Its walls are about a metre thick, of stone and brick.

Inside is a Baroque hall, in contrast to the sober front. A long arch runs from one end of the hall to the other over the small benches, and large chandeliers hang around the pulpit.

The Aron Kodesh, the niche that holds the Torah scrolls, sits in a carved wooden panel, gilded and painted, dating from 1864. The panel has been under restoration in recent years.

Over the eastern side rises the dome, 10 metres across, with the Star of David on top.

Visiting

Two things stand outside before you go in: an obelisk in front of the synagogue to the victims of the Iași pogrom of June 1941, and two marble plaques above the door, in Romanian and Hebrew. From the door, a few steps take you down into the hall, which sits below street level.

Take in the hall from the back first, with the arch overhead and the chandeliers around the pulpit ahead. Then walk forward to the carved panel of the Aron Kodesh.

The Women's Gallery upstairs once held a small museum of the Jewish community, which moved out when the restoration began. Ask at the door whether anything is on show there.

Guided or on your own

The city's free Jewish Route walking tour meets at Piața Unirii, by the statue, on Saturdays at 10am and Tuesdays at 6pm. Ask the guide at the start whether the group goes inside the synagogue.

Longer guided Jewish heritage walks of about three hours also cover the old quarter and its synagogues. Check with the guide that the synagogue interior is included.

Tips

Dress modestly: this is a working synagogue. Before you go in, ask at the door how entry works, whether men should cover their heads, and whether you may take photographs inside.

The front is low and easy to miss from the street. Look for the small garden on Strada Sinagogilor, and if the door is shut, the Jewish Route walk still takes you through the old quarter around it.