Synagogue of Lausanne | |
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Native name French: Synagogue de Lausanne | |
Type | Synagogue |
Location | Avenue de Florimont Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland |
Coordinates | 46°30′59″N 6°38′16″E / 46.51639°N 6.63778°E |
Built | 1909–1910 |
Architect | Charles Bonjour, Adrien van Dorsser, Oscar Oulevey |
Architectural style(s) | Romanesque- Byzantine |
Governing body | Israelite Community of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud (CILV) |
Official name | Synagogue |
Reference no. | 6202 |
The synagogue of Lausanne ( French: synagogue de Lausanne) is a synagogue located on Avenue de Florimont in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland.
In the early 20th century, the Jewish community gathered in the Jean-Jacques Mercier building on Rue du Grand-Chêne in Lausanne. The community grew rapidly and wanted to have a larger place of worship. [1]
Upon the death of French merchant Daniel Iffla ("Osiris"), the City Council of Lausanne received a bequest of 50,000 francs. This donation aimed at building a new synagogue which had to be inspired from the Buffault Synagogue in Paris. [2]
The synagogue was built in 1909–1910 [1] thanks to the financial support of the local Ashkenazi community. [3] The City of Lausanne also allocated 300,000 francs for the construction. [4] The building was designed by Vaudois architects Charles Bonjour, Adrien van Dorsser and Oscar Oulevey and inaugurated on November 7, 1910. [5]
The cost of land acquisition and construction totalled 280,000 francs, including 48,000 francs for the structural system and 28,000 francs for the decoration and the furniture. [1]
After WWII, the community grew and integrated Sepharadi Jews, which requested unity in the rites and the use of the synagogue. [6]
In 2010, Israelite Community of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud (CILV) celebrated the centenary of the synagogue and organised events aimed at "forging bonds with Lausanne and Vaud people", [7] including an exhibition about the history of the synagogue. [8]
The synagogue is now listed among the Cultural Property of National Significance. [9] It is used for Shabbat celebrations, but usually the daily service takes place in a smaller underground room. [5] In 1995, a liturgical music concert took place at the synagogue. [10]
The Romanesque- Byzantine [1] synagogue has a long nave that can be reached from the vestibule. Three sides of the nave are bordered by galleries with 160 seats for women. The stalls are dedicated to men only. [1] The Almemohr has a tabernacle with the Torah scrolls, as well as the seat used by the rabbi. The paintings were made by Otto Alfred Briffod and the stained-glass windows were manufactured by the workshop Guignard & Schmid. [1] There is an adjacent sacristy. The underground floor has several locales.