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Origin and history

The synagogue of Lille, located at 5 rue Auguste-Angellier, is the first synagogue built in the North of France. It was built at the end of the 19th century to meet the needs of the Ashkenazi Jewish community, mainly composed of Alsatian immigrants and Central Europe. This project is part of the development of the Lille "Latin Quarter", marked by the presence of the Saint Michael Church, the university and the Protestant temple.

Designed by architect Théophile-Albert Hannotin, the synagogue was inaugurated in 1891. Its Romano-Byzantine architecture is distinguished by a nave of 17 meters supported by twelve pillars of cast iron, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. The pediment, adorned with tables of the law and storks (recall of the Alsatian origin of the community), bears a Hebrew inscription from Genesis: "This is none other than the house of the Lord, and this is the gate of heaven".

During the Second World War, the synagogue was requisitioned by the Germans to store equipment, but its original furniture, designed by Hannotin, was preserved. This exceptional heritage earned it an inscription in the inventory of historical monuments in 1984. Today, it remains a major architectural and cultural testimony of Jewish history in the Hauts-de-France.

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