Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue
| Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| |
Interior of the Jewish museum, in 2022 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status |
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| Status |
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| Location | |
| Location | 197 Rua do Bom Jesus (Rua dos Judeus), Recife Antigo, Recife, Pernambuco |
| Country | Brazil |
Location of the former synagogue, now museum, in Brazil | |
| Geographic coordinates | 8°03′41″S 34°52′17″W / 8.06131°S 34.87132°W |
| Architecture | |
| Completed |
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| Destroyed | c. early 20th century |
The Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue (Hebrew: קהל צור ישראל, lit. 'Congregation Rock of Israel'; Portuguese: Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel; Dutch: Synagoge Kahal Zur Israel) was a former Jewish synagogue, located at 197 Rua do Bom Jesus (Rua dos Judeus), in the old city of Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil.
The synagogue was established in 1636 by Portuguese and Spanish Sephardic Jews who had taken refuge in Dutch Brazil, fleeing forced conversion, and were joined by New Christians, who possibly helped to build the structure and were already living in the colony. It was the first synagogue erected in the Americas. The building was destroyed in the early part of the 20th century and a new building constructed on the same site, that now serves as a Jewish museum. The museum features a Torah and bema, as well as archeological excavations displaying various parts of the original synagogue, such as the mikveh.