Bet Yaakov Synagogue
Changes After Construction:
- In 1947, an initiative was undertaken on Orhan Street to establish a synagogue; the plot was found unsuitable because of its technical conditions.
- On the religious festival days in the autumn of 1948, worship was held, with permission, in a rented school hall.
- In the summer of 1950, an official application was made for another building to be used as a temporary place of worship on certain days during the summer season in order to meet the need for worship.
- In 1953, the plot was registered in the name of the relevant community/foundation; after the necessary permits were obtained, the construction process began.
- The synagogue was opened for worship on Sunday, 10 June 1956.
- Until 1997, it remained open every day in the summer months for morning and evening prayers; later, with the decrease in the number of summer residents, it became open for worship only on certain days and for certain prayers.
Prominent Features:
- In the 1940s, as the number of Jewish families coming to Heybeliada in the summer increased, the need for a synagogue on the island emerged.
- It was established as a “summer synagogue” to meet the needs of the community that increased in Heybeliada during the summer season.
- The pattern of worship is maintained on a seasonal basis, depending on the island’s fluctuating population.
