Beth Shalom Temple (Havana)

For similarly named synagogues, see Beth Shalom.

Beth Shalom Temple
Hebrew: בית הכנסת בית שלום Spanish: Gran Sinagoga Bet Shalom
The synagogue exterior, 2008
Religion
Affiliation	Conservative Judaism
Rite	Nusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Status	Active
Location
Location	Calle I Esq. 13, Vedado, Havana 10400
Country	Cuba
Location of the synagogue in Cuba
Geographic coordinates	23°08′30″N 82°23′22″W
Architecture
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Modernist
Date established	1904 (as a congregation)
Groundbreaking	1951
Completed	1953
Specifications
Capacity	300 seats
Materials	Cement-block

Beth Shalom Temple (Hebrew: בית הכנסת בית שלום, romanized: Beit haKnesset Beit Shalom; Spanish: Gran Sinagoga Bet Shalom), commonly referred to as El Patronato, is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Vedado neighbourhood of downtown Havana, Cuba.

Completed in 1953, Temple Beth Shalom is the main synagogue serving Havana's Jewish community of 1,500 people. The congregation was founded in 1904 and it has been an epicenter of Jewish life in Cuba. The synagogue is often considered one of the most important sites in all of Latin American Judaism, and welcomes thousands of visitors each year for both Shabbat and tours of Jewish Cuba.

History

Jews arrived in Cuba shortly after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. Subsequent waves of Portuguese Jews from Brazil and Dutch Jews arrived in Cuba from the 16th to 19th centuries. Ashkenazi Jews from Europe started arriving in Cuba, usually via the United States, following the Spanish-American War. The congregation was established in 1904.

The synagogue originally opened its doors in 1953 as the grandest Jewish house of worship in Havana. Its soaring Romanesque fused European and Moorish-Spanish elements into a unique hybrid Modernist style.

By the 1980s however, shifting political tides had greatly thinned the Jewish population. In 1981, the state purchased a large portion of the building to establish the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center. Despite its reduced physical footprint, Temple Beth Shalom continues its foundational mission as the keystone of Jewish heritage in Havana. Extensive restorations in the 1990s revived the sanctuary's structural integrity and interior opulence with support from benefactors like the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and under the guidance of Shmuel Szteinhendler.

The synagogue is a living testament to Cuban Jewry's resilience. Temple Beth Shalom's rich history and enduring ritual purpose make it a site of pilgrimage for Jewish visitors from across the globe. As the largest and most influential Jewish institution in the country, Temple Beth Shalom is regarded as the de facto center of gravity for Cuba's Jewish population. It hosts the community's seminal celebrations for holy days and rites including the High Holidays, Passover Seder, bar mitzvahs, Jewish weddings, and funerals.

As of 2017, the congregation did not have a regular rabbi.

With the relaxation of religious restrictions, Temple Beth Shalom led a revival of public Jewish expression. Consistently listed as one of the holiest Jewish sites in the world, thousands of visitors come each year to learn about its history and significance in the Latin Jewish community. The temple continues asserting its position as the flagship institution sustaining the Cuban Jewish community. The building also houses a Jewish library.

Visitors to the synagogue have included Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, Fidel Castro and Raul Castro.

See also

• History of the Jews in Cuba
• List of synagogues in Cuba

External links

Media related to Beth Shalom Temple (Havana, Cuba) at Wikimedia Commons

• "Havana Synagogue Tour". Havana Jewish Tour. Retrieved November 7, 2024.