Vorlage:Infobox building Vorlage:Chinese
The Ohel Rachel Synagogue is a Sephardi synagogue in Shanghai, China. Due to its location on Seymour Road (now North Shaanxi Road), it is colloquially known as the Seymour Synagogue.[1] Ohel Rachel and Ohel Moshe are the only two Jewish temples of old Shanghai that still stand, out of the original six.[2]
History
The Ohel Rachel Synagogue was constructed by Sirs Jacob Elias Sassoon and Edward Elias Sassoon of the wealthy Sassoon family, who built many of Shanghai's historic structures. It was named after Jacob Sassoon's late wife, Rachel.Vorlage:Sfn It was built on Seymour Road, now Shaanxi Road, inside the Shanghai International Settlement.Vorlage:Sfn When it was consecrated in 1921, Ohel Rachel was the first purpose-built synagogue in Shanghai, with a seating capacity of 700 people.Vorlage:Sfn It was dedicated by the first rabbi of the Shanghai Sephardim community, Rabbi W. Hirsch.Vorlage:Sfn
The Jewish Club Ahduth opened in the Ohel Rachel compound in 1921. It held both Sephardi and Ashkenazi social events, though the former tended to dominate.Vorlage:Sfn After combat between Chinese and Japanese forces in the January 28 Incident of 1932 caused serious damage to the Hongkou District where Ashkenazi settlement was concentrated, the congregation of Ohel Moshe opened a new branch of their synagogue in a building next to Ohel Rachel.Vorlage:Sfn The Shanghai Jewish School also moved in 1932 from Dixwell Road in Hongkou to a building adjacent to Ohel Rachel.[3] The school served both Ashkenazi and Sephardi students.Vorlage:Sfn
Ohel Rachel was closed by the government of the People's Republic of China after it took over Shanghai in 1949, and the structure became part of the Shanghai Education Commission compound. The building suffered some damage during the Cultural Revolution.[2] In 1993, American First Lady Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited the synagogue, and Rabbi Arthur Schneier sanctified Ohel Rachel for the occasion, using a Torah brought from New York City.[4] Beginning with Expo 2010, which was held in Shanghai, the building was reopened for select Jewish holidays.[2]
Conservation
On 18 March 1994, the Shanghai municipal government declared the Ohel Rachel Synagogue a protected architectural landmark of the city,[1] but it continued to be used as an office and storage space until 1998.[5] The synagogue was included in the 2002 and 2004 World Monuments Watch list of 100 most endangered sites.[5]
References
Bibliography
- Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Springer Science & Business Media, 2005, ISBN 978-0-306-48321-9 (google.com).
- Marcia Reynders Ristaino: Port of Last Resort: The Diaspora Communities of Shanghai. Stanford University Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0-8047-5023-3 (google.com).
- ↑ a b Jewish places of worship. In: Shanghai Chronicle. Shanghai Municipal Government, abgerufen am 12. Januar 2015 (chinesisch).
- ↑ a b c Shanghai's Jews celebrate historic synagogue reopening, CNN, July 30, 2010
- ↑ The Chronology of the Jews of Shanghai from 1832 to the Present Day. Jewish Communities of China, abgerufen am 7. Januar 2015.
- ↑ Seth Faison: CLINTON IN CHINA: RELIC; Revival of a Synagogue Wins First Lady's Praise, New York Times, July 2, 1998
- ↑ a b 2004 World Monuments Watch 100 Most Endangered Sites. World Monuments Fund, S. 49, abgerufen am 12. Januar 2015.