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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The synagogue of Nice, also known as the Great Synagogue, is a Jewish religious building built in the city centre at 7 Gustave-Deloye Street. It replaces an old 18th century synagogue located on Rue Benoît-Bunico, in the historical district of giudaria (Jewish ghetto). Its inauguration in 1886 marked the culmination of a project launched in 1885, after the demolition of a theatre to free space. The neo-Byzantine architecture, signed by engineer Paul Martin, is inspired by contemporary models such as those of Dijon or Tunis, with a stone façade decorated with a rosette and surmounted by the Tables of the Law.

The Niçois Jewish community, present since the 13th century but structured from the 18th century, sees this place become a symbol of its local anchor. During World War II, the Nazis occupied the synagogue in 1943 to imprison Jews before their deportation. The building, richly decorated inside (sanctuary, stained glass windows of Theo Tobiasse added in 1993), was renovated in 1988 and classified as a historical monument in 2007. Its history reflects both the urban evolution of Nice and the upheavals experienced by the Jewish community.

The inauguration of 1886 was presided over by the Grand Rabbi of France, Lazare Isidor, alongside the Rabbi of Nice, Honel Meiss. The latter, a local figure, documented the history of the Israelite University of Nice in the 1920s. The architect decorator Brun and the painter-glassmaker Théo Tobiasse (for the stained glass windows of 1993) are among the craftsmen of his visual identity. The synagogue remains today an active place of worship and a protected heritage, illustrating the dialogue between religious history, architecture and collective memory.

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