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Origin and history

The Sedan synagogue was built in 1878 to accommodate the Jewish refugees of Alsace-Moselle, which became German after the Franco-German war of 1870. Its sober but symbolic architecture incorporates elements such as the Law tables on the facade and a star of David formed by the roses. The interior, with little ornamentation, includes a nave with bottoms, stands, and a tabernacle covered with an embroidered velvet curtain.

The synagogue was part of the urbanization of Sedan after 1875, when mayor Augustus Philippoteaux obtained the dismantling of the fortifications to create the Avenue de Verdun, where it was built. Funded by the State and the city, it was inaugurated in 1880 in the presence of the great rabbi of France. His first rabbi, Simon Debré (father of Robert Debré), was there until 1888.

The Jewish community of Sedan, initially reduced, grew up with the arrival of the Alsatians, then the Sefarades of Algeria in 1962. During the Second World War, 45 of its members were deported. The synagogue, classified as a historical monument in 1984, also reflects local tensions, such as the anti-Semitic demonstration of 1898 during the Dreyfus affair, contrasting with the pro-dreyfusard meeting of Jean Jaurès in 1899.

The history of the community, marked by waves of migration (Portugal in the seventeenth century, Alsace in 1870, Algeria in 1962) and departures to Paris or Israel, is read through this place. Today, the synagogue remains a symbol of the religious and historical heritage of the Ardennes, linked to integration and political upheavals.

The architectural sources highlight its sober style, typical of the 19th century synagogues, with neoclassical influences (Corinthian capitals) and quadrilobed or trilobed motifs. Its location, at the head of Sedan's most beautiful boulevard, reflects its urban and community importance at the time of its construction.

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