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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Boulogne-Billancourt synagogue was built in 1911 thanks to the funding of Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a philanthropist and figure of Zionism. The plot, located at the corner of the streets of the Abondances and the Abreuvoir, was taken from its park adjacent to the castle. The architect Emmanuel Pontremoli, winner of the Prix de Rome, drew inspiration from Byzantine references then in vogue, as for the synagogues of Neuilly or Chasseloup-Laubat. The interior decorations, especially the visible frames decorated with colourful geometric motifs, were made by the painter Gustave-Louis Jaulmes.

The inauguration took place on 21 September 1912 in the presence of Alfred Lévy, Grand Rabbi of the Central Consistory, and Jacques-Henri Dreyfuss, Grand Rabbi of Paris. The Jewish community of Boulogne-sur-Seine, which had grown since 1881, was thus able to have a suitable place of worship. During World War II, the synagogue was transformed into a stable by the occupants, before being restored after 1945.

Several prominent rabbis, including Haim Joel Stourdzé (father of a resistor deported to Auschwitz), as well as Philippe Eliyahou Touitou (1990-2003) and Didier Its The monument, owned by an association, has been listed as a Historic Monument since July 10, 1986. It bears witness to the religious and architectural heritage of the early 20th century in Île-de-France, linked to the history of the local Jewish community and the influence of the Rothschild.

The synagogue is part of a broader context of Jewish patronage in France, with figures such as Albert Kahn or Théodore Reinach, and illustrates the integration of Byzantine artistic references into the religious architecture of the time. Its location, close to Bois de Boulogne, also reflects the urbanization of the municipalities bordering Paris at the beginning of the 20th century.

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