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Origin and history

The Nazareth Synagogue, located at 15 rue Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, is the oldest of the major Parisian synagogues still in operation. It came into being in 1810 when the Ashkenazi Jewish community of German rite, then settled on Rue Sainte-Avoye (current Temple Street), was forced to leave the site in 1818 after an expulsion by its owner. Thanks to a royal ordinance of Louis XVIII in 1819, the Israelite Consistory of Paris acquired land between the streets of Neuve-Saint-Laurent (now rue du Vertbois) and Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth to build a new synagogue, inaugurated in 1822.

Designed by architect Sandrié de Jouy, this first synagogue, capable of welcoming several hundred faithful, quickly presents major structural defects. In 1848, the building threatened to collapse, leading to its closure in 1850 and its demolition. A new synagogue, partly financed by Baron James de Rothschild, was then built according to the plans of architect Alexandre Thierry. Inaugurated on April 1, 1852, it is distinguished by its neo-Mauresk style, its innovative organ for the period, and its galleries reserved for women, supported by cast iron columns.

The Nazareth synagogue played a central role in Parisian religious life in the 19th century. It houses the headquarters of the Israelite Central Consistory of France and serves as a residence for the great rabbis of France and Paris until 1875. The composer Jacques Offenbach directed the choir there for six months in 1833, and actress Rachel regularly attended it. During the Second World War, she was the victim of an attack in 1941 by the Revolutionary Social Movement (RSM), causing material damage. The great rabbi Joseph Saks and his wife, arrested during this period, died in deportation.

After the war, the synagogue changed its rite to sefarade, reflecting the massive arrival of Jews from North Africa in the neighborhood. Ranked a historic monument in 1986 and 2019, it preserves remarkable elements such as a clock with zodiac signs (damaged during the 1999 storm), a rosette decorated with a star of David, and commemorative plaques reminiscent of its history. The renovations carried out around 2000 have restored the original interior paintings, stained glass windows and liturgical furniture, including an organ and candlelight chandeliers.

Architecturally, the synagogue is characterized by a sober three-span facade, surmounted by a crenelated pediment and a republican motto engraved around the entrance door. Inside, the prayer room, which can accommodate up to 1,200 faithful, consists of two floors of galleries for women, used only at large parties. The twelve windows symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. Despite its atypical name — chosen to avoid the Christian reference of the street — the Nazareth synagogue remains a major witness to the Jewish heritage of Paris and its evolution since the 19th century.

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