Project

The two-story Renaissance Revival synagogue is in keeping with the style of the grand but now decaying buildings that line the wide boulevards at the heart of Odessa's commercial district. The synagogue is listed as a building of historical significance with national preservation authorities in Ukraine. (...)

The two-story Renaissance Revival synagogue is in keeping with the style of the grand but now decaying buildings that line the wide boulevards at the heart of Odessa's commercial district. The synagogue is listed as a building of historical significance with national preservation authorities in Ukraine. It is representative of the artistic and cultural vitality of Jewish life in Ukraine in the nineteenth century. The synagogue was among the preeminent choral synagogues of Eastern Europe. Like the Tempel Synagogue in Krakow, Poland, to which it bears stylistic similarities, the Great Choral Synagogue survived decades of Communist rule and once again serves its original purpose. It still ranks among the major synagogues of Ukraine built in the modern era. Perhaps most important, the rehabilitation of the synagogue has allowed it to return to be of great service to a thriving community that benefits from a wide variety of programs offered through the programs housed in the building. Tikva Children’s Home’s outreach through local media also encourages recognition of the importance of the Great Choral Synagogue to today’s residents of Odessa.