What synagogues are there in Gibraltar?

Short answer

Gibraltar has four synagogues with regular Orthodox services: Shaar Hashamayim (the Great Synagogue) on Engineer Lane, Nefusot Yehudah (the Flemish Synagogue) off Line Wall Road, Etz Hayim in Irish Town and the Abudarham Synagogue on Parliament Lane. All four are within a few minutes' walk of Main Street.

Detailed answer

Gibraltar's Jewish community is mainly Sephardic, and its four synagogues sit close together in the old town.

Shaar Hashamayim (Great Synagogue)

On Engineer Lane, this is the community's main synagogue. The congregation dates from 1724, making it one of the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula. The building was destroyed by a storm in 1766 and again by Spanish bombardment in 1781, and much of the present building, including the vaulted ceiling, dates from rebuilding after a fire in 1812. Its interior has been compared to Bevis Marks in London and the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, and it is a listed building.

Nefusot Yehudah (Flemish Synagogue)

On Line Wall Road, with its entrance from Bomb House Lane opposite the Gibraltar Museum. Most sources date it to 1800, founded by Dutch merchants. It was badly damaged by fire in the early 20th century and rebuilt with an Italian-style interior of marble, patterned ceilings and Moroccan tiles, often described as the most elaborate of the four.

Etz Hayim

In Irish Town. The congregation dates from 1759, on the site of a yeshiva founded by Isaac Nieto, Gibraltar's first rabbi, and it followed the Moroccan rite. It is sometimes called the Little Synagogue.

Abudarham Synagogue

On Parliament Lane. It grew out of the Talmudic school of Rabbi Solomon Abudarham, who died in 1804, and became a synagogue in about 1820. It is the smallest of the four, with wooden pews facing the central reading platform.

Visits are by arrangement with the Jewish community; see our separate FAQ on visiting.