Ramban Synagogue
| Ramban Synagogue | |
|---|---|
Interior, 2006
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| Basic information | |
| Location | ha-Yehudim Street Old City of Jerusalem |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl |
The Ramban Synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת הרמב"ן), is the second oldest active synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was founded by Nahmanides (Ramban) in 1267, to service the local Jewish community, which would expand due to its presence.
Today there are two Ramban Synagogues in Jerusalem, the original historic one described in this article stands in the Old City; and a new one, established after 1948 and rebuilt in 2005, at 4 Amatsya Street in the Katamon neighbourhood of West Jerusalem.
The foundation of the building comprises vaults resting on Romanesque and Byzantine capitals. Along with the fact that there are no Gothic or Islamic architectural features, this suggests that the original building predates the Crusader period.
The synagogue is located three meters below street level, to comply with Muslim restrictions for Dhimmi houses of prayer not to be higher than mosques.
After the Disputation of Barcelona, Nahmanides was exiled from Aragon, and in 1267 he made aliyah to the Land of Israel. In an alleged letter to his son, he described the Jewish community of Jerusalem devastated by the Khwarezmian Tatars:
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