Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue, Jewish synagogue in Tondano, Indonesia
Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue in Tondano is a two-story building containing a ritual bath, guest rooms, and a Holocaust museum within its compound. The spaces are designed to serve both religious functions and community gatherings.
The building began as a private house constructed in 1996, then the van der Stoop family from the Netherlands donated it to the local Jewish community in 2004. This gift transformed the space into a functioning place of worship.
The congregation here follows Western Sephardic traditions, using the same prayers and melodies as those practiced in Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue.
The synagogue is accessible by road in the Tondano area and welcomes visitors during appropriate times. It is helpful to inquire ahead about visiting arrangements and any guidelines for respectful behavior at this active religious site.
It has been the only active synagogue in Indonesia since 2013, after the Surabaya synagogue was demolished. This makes it a rare center of Jewish life in Southeast Asia.
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