Belz Beis HaMedrash HaGadol, Hasidic synagogue in Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem, Israel.
Belz Beis HaMedrash HaGadol is a synagogue in the Kiryat Belz neighborhood of Jerusalem, designed by Aaron Ostreicher and completed in 2002. Its main sanctuary seats 2,589 worshippers and is used on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, while weekday services take place in shtieblach on the floors below. The building has four entrances, one for each street of the hilltop neighborhood, and stands over 20 meters high.
The cornerstone was laid in 1984, and the building took about sixteen years to construct. It was dedicated in 2000, on 13 Nisan 5760. The synagogue was designed by Aaron Ostreicher, a Belz Hasid, and Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the fifth Belzer Rebbe, took part in the concrete work and in planning the building.
This synagogue serves as the spiritual center of the Belz Hasidic community in Jerusalem. Daily prayers and holiday gatherings shape how members of the movement experience their faith together.
The main hall opens for Sabbath and religious holidays, while smaller rooms serve daily prayers at various times. Visitors should check which prayer sessions and spaces are available depending on the day and time of visit.
The ornate wooden ark, 12 metres high and weighing 16 tonnes, holds 70 Torah scrolls lying flat rather than upright, following the custom of Rabbenu Tam. Beside it stands a glass case with the simple wooden chair and shtender used by Rabbi Aharon Rokeach after he reached Israel in 1944.
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