The Holy Union Temple (Templul Unirea Sfântă) is a former synagogue in the Jewish neighborhood of Bucharest, which now houses the Jewish History Museum of Romania.
History Of The Synagogue
According to different sources, the Holy Union Temple was either built in 1836 or in 1850 as a synagogue of the tailors’ guild and is therefore also named the Great Synagogue of Tailors. After a remodeling in 1910 the synagogue now has a mix of styles including Moorish, Romanesque, and Byzantine. The temple has a surface of 305 square meters and consists of a ground floor and two upper levels.
The Holy Union Temple was raided by the legionaires in 1941, but survived both World War II, and the communist era during which several synagogues and other religious buildings were demolished.
About The Museum
In 1978, the Museum of the History of Jewish Communities in Romania was established in the synagoge at the initiative of the chief rabbi Dr. Moses Rosen. The museum covers the history of the jewish community from its establishment in the territory of Romania and focuses on the contribution of jews to the Romanian culture and economy rather than the holocaust and exodus to Israel.
In the nearby Great Synagogue of Bucharest, you can also visit the Romanian Holocaust Museum.
