Ohr ha-Chaim Synagogue, 18th-century synagogue in Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem, Israel.
Ohr ha-Chaim Synagogue is located on the second floor of the Old Yishuv Court Museum complex in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, occupying a historic prayer room. The space contains two distinct prayer sections separated by a partition according to traditional Jewish custom.
A scholar from Ferrara established this prayer room in the 1700s, which later became associated with a prominent rabbi's seminary with dozens of students. The building was destroyed during conflict in 1948 but reopened nearly 20 years later in the same location.
The synagogue serves as a living place of prayer for the Karlin Hasidic community, whose members gather here daily following traditional religious practices. The separate prayer sections for men and women reflect customary Jewish observance that visitors can directly observe.
Access the synagogue through the entrance of the Old Yishuv Court Museum, where you will need to pass through the museum space. Keep in mind that active prayer services take place here, particularly on Saturday mornings, so timing your visit respectfully is important.
This prayer room lay largely forgotten and inaccessible for many years before being restored and reopened through the museum project. Its resurrection represents one of several efforts in the Quarter to bring dormant religious spaces back to active use.
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