The Great Synagogue of Iaşi and Its Aron Kodesh

The Great Synagogue of Iaşi, Romania, was included on the 2014 World Monuments Watch to call for renewed local support for the stalled restoration of the building. Every two years since 1996, the World Monuments Watch has issued a call to action for cultural heritage at risk around the globe. The Great Synagogue of Iaşi was selected because of its significance as the oldest extant synagogue in Romania, its history of serving an important and influential Jewish community in Eastern Europe, and its unfortunate state of deterioration at the time of inclusion.

We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to collaborate on the restoration of the aron kodesh (torah ark), and to see the sanctuary’s centerpiece return to its glorious state. The Great Synagogue of Iaşi is a true Watch success story.