Great Synagogue of Deventer

Former synagogue in Deventer, Netherlands

For similarly named synagogues, see Great Synagogue.

Great Synagogue of Deventer

Dutch: Grote Synagoge van Deventer

The former synagogue in 2007

Religion
Affiliation|

* Judaism (former)
* Christianity (former)

Rite| Nusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational status|

* Synagogue (1892-1941)
* Church (1951-2010)
* Synagogue (2010-2018)
* Profane use (since 2018)

Status|

* Inactive (as a synagogue);
* Repurposed

Location
Location| Golstraat 23, Deventer, Overijssel
Country| The Netherlands

Location of the former synagogue in Overijssel

Geographic coordinates| 52°15′10″N 6°09′42″E﻿ / ﻿52.25278°N 6.16167°E﻿ / 52.25278; 6.16167
Architecture
Architect(s)| Jan Anthony Mulock Houwer
Type| Synagogue architecture
Style|

* Renaissance Revival
* Moorish Revival

Groundbreaking| 1891
Completed| 1892
Materials| Brick
[1]

The Great Synagogue of Deventer (Dutch: Grote Synagoge van Deventer) is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at Golstraat 23, in the city of Deventer, in the Overijssel region of The Netherlands. Designed by J. A. Mulock Houwer in a mix of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival styles, the synagogue was completed in 1892.[1][2]

## History

[edit]

This temple was built in 1892 by J. A. Mulock Houwer. It is a Renaissance Revival building with Moorish Revival influences.[2] The structure includes minaret-like turrets, with crescents on either side. On the summit, just above the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments directly, was a large copper Star of David. The oriental style is a reference to the Taifa of Toledo, where, before 1492, peaceful and prosperous coexistence of Judaism with Islam and Christianity prevailed. The combination of crescents and a Star of David explicitly refers to the peaceful co-existence with Islam in Toledo.

During World War II, the interior was destroyed by Dutch Nazis (members of the Dutch Nazi-party NSB).

Between 1951 and 2010 it was used as a place of worship by the Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands.

From 2010 to 2018 the building was used as a synagogue by the Jewish community Beth Shoshanna.[2]

In February 2018 the Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands sold the building, while rented out Congregation Beth Shoshanna, to Lenferink Groep Zwolle, the real estate firm of investors Carlus Lenferink and Geert-Harm van der Maat.[3] A restaurant entrepreneur working with the firm, Ayhan Sahin, circulated plans to change the synagogue into a food hall.[3][4] These food hall plans were met with strong objections.[5][6][7]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Original façade of the synagogue

* Original interior of the synagogue

* The synagogue interior following devastation during WWII by the Dutch NSB

## See also

[edit]

* Netherlands portal
* Judaism portal

* History of the Jews in the Netherlands
* List of synagogues in the Netherlands

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Great (now Beth Shoshanna) Synagogue in Deventer". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
2. ^ a b c "Synagogue on the Golstraat". vvvdeventer.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on April 13, 2013.
3. ^ a b "Eigenaar Deventer synagoge onbekend met plan voor foodhal". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved July 30, 2018.
4. ^ "Synagoge in Deventer Golstraat wordt mogelijk foodhal". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved July 30, 2018.
5. ^ "Deventer kerken verontrust over toekomstplannen synagoge". DRTV (in Dutch). April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
6. ^ "Harteloze ondernemer ruimt laatste restje Joodse gemeenschap Deventer op; verbouwt hun synagoge tot foodhal". De Dagelijkse Standaard (in Dutch). April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
7. ^ Klaassen, Bas. "Deventer Joodse gemeenschap: plan foodhal in synagoge is absolute schande". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved July 30, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Synagogue, Deventer at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Synagogues in the Netherlands and in the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Active|

* Aalten
* Beit Ha'Chidush
* Beth Israel (Oranjestad, Aruba)
* Curaçao
* Delft
* Gerard Doustraat
* Nederlands Israëlitische Gemeente Den Haag
* Portuguese (Amsterdam)

Former|

| Abandoned or repurposed
(still standing)|

* Aqsa Mosque, The Hague
* Great (Deventer)

|

* List of synagogues

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