Beit haKnesset haGadol, Rehovot, Orthodox synagogue in Rehovot, Israel
Beit haKnesset haGadol, also called Ohel Sarah, is a synagogue at the corner of Benjamin and Menuha veNahala streets in Rehovot, on the hill that was the settlement's highest point when it was built. Architect Baruch Papiermeister planned the building in an eclectic style; north and south wings were added over the years, and a forecourt extension was built in front. The interior ark was made by the settlement's carpenter Michael Lutzky.
Rehovot's first purpose-built synagogue was pledged in 1896, when Sima, wife of founder Yaakov Broida, promised 5,000 rubles for a house of worship named for her mother, Sarah Rabinowitz. The cornerstone was laid that year, but the donation did not arrive and construction was delayed seven years. The synagogue was inaugurated in 1903; guests including Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook paraded the Torah scrolls from the wooden Shalash, the settlement's first public building, into the new ark made by carpenter Michael Lutzky.
The synagogue holds three prayer services daily. Once a month, usually on Shabbat Mevarkhim, well-known cantors lead the services, drawing many lovers of cantorial music. The building is named Ohel Sarah after Sarah Rabinovich, mother of donor Sima Broida.
The building is located in central Rehovot and is accessible by walking through the neighborhood streets. Visitors should respect prayer times and dress appropriately when entering the space.
The synagogue stands on the highest point of the settlement at the time of its construction, a spot chosen in accordance with halakha. Its Torah ark was built by Michael Lutzky, the settlement's carpenter, and the 1903 dedication procession carried the scrolls there from the wooden Shalash building.
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