Lisbon Synagogue

Portuguese Synagogue Shaare Tikva in Lisbon (Hebrew for "Gates of Hope") is the main synagogue of the Jewish Community of Lisbon. It stands in the Portuguese capital, in the São Mamede district, on Rua Alexandre Herculano. The building sits at roughly 38.72° N, 9.15° W.

Why does this synagogue matter?

Shaare Tikva was the first synagogue built from scratch in Portugal after King Manuel I decreed the expulsion of the Jews in 1496. For centuries afterwards the Jewish community had no official house of worship here. Around 1810 Lisbon had three small synagogues, but they operated inside private homes rather than in buildings of their own.

How did it come to be built?

During the nineteenth century the community made several attempts to found a synagogue, hindered by the constitutional monarchy's lack of recognition of Judaism. The turning point came on 4 March 1897, when Lisbon's Jews resolved in a general assembly to form a commission to establish a synagogue, chaired by Leão Amzalak. The land was bought in 1901. The deed was drawn up in the name of a private individual, because the community could not legally acquire property in its own name at the time.

Who designed it and what does it look like?

Architect Miguel Ventura Terra designed the building in 1902, and construction was completed in 1904. Its style is Romanesque-Byzantine. The synagogue was built inside a walled courtyard, since the rules of the day did not allow a temple of any religion other than Catholicism, then the state religion, to have a façade facing the public street. From the street, little reveals the house of prayer behind the wall.

Later changes

From 1948 the synagogue was expanded under a design by architect Carlos Ramos. It still serves as the main synagogue of Lisbon's Jewish community.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Portuguese Synagogue in Lisbon? In the São Mamede district, on Rua Alexandre Herculano.

What does Shaare Tikva mean? It is Hebrew for "Gates of Hope".

When was it built? It was designed in 1902 and completed in 1904.

Who was the architect? Miguel Ventura Terra. Carlos Ramos directed the expansion that began in 1948.

Why does the synagogue stand in a walled courtyard? Rules at the time forbade a non-Catholic temple from having a façade on the public road.

Is it the first synagogue in Portugal? It was the first built from scratch in Portugal after the 1496 expulsion of the Jews.

Who should visit?

The synagogue suits visitors interested in Jewish history in Portugal, early twentieth-century architecture, and the story of religious tolerance in Europe. Its hidden façade and Romanesque-Byzantine style set it apart from the surrounding Lisbon streets. It pairs well with a walk through the surrounding São Mamede streets.