Great Synagogue of Ness Ziona

Haim Teper, a builder, contractor, and activist in land acquisition, designed the building. Unlike the residents of the Hebrew neighborhoods and cities of that period, who viewed schools as the central focal point of a community, in the ‘Moshavot’ the synagogues were the primary focus. The chosen location was at the crest of a hill dubbed the “Hill of Love”, which had already been allocated for the public buildings of Ness Ziona.

The design inspiration for the synagogue likely came from ancient basilicas and Florentine churches. An example of this can be seen in the plan of the synagogue, which includes a long, rectangular hall with a rounded end, similar to a typical church plan. Teper reversed the church plan, placing the apse-like wall at the entrance, while placing the Holy Ark opposite, at the far end of the elongated hall.

Address: Great Synagogue of Ness Ziona, Tel Aviv Street, Ness Ziona, Israel
Constructed: 1926
Renewed: 2019
Client: Ness Ziona Municipallity
Photographer: Dor Nevo
Constructor: Schaffer & Ronen Engineering Ltd.
Contractor: Avner Gilad Preservation and Reconstruction of Buildings
Project manager: Amir Malkin Project Management

1904

One of several letters and sales documents relating to the shipment of etrogs from Ness Ziona to a Jewish community in Russia, found during the conservation work

The building consists of a partial basement floor, which takes advantage of the natural slope of the land and is built of 80-centimeter-thick stone walls. This part of the building was already completed in 1913 and contains rooms that were originally used by the community for cultural activities, as well as for gymnastics. Above the basement floor, a decade later, the prayer hall (200 square meters) was built with a partial gallery that served as a women’s section. Unlike the basement floor, the hall was built using concrete bricks. At its center, it rises to a height of 10 meters, with four iron columns supporting the ceiling.

The impressive and original Torah ark reaches a height of six meters. Like the hexagonal stage, it is decorated with intricate details, including winged lions, quotations from Psalms and Proverbs, the Ten Commandments, plant decorations, and Stars of David. On the stage, where the Torah ark stands, a “slik” was built to conceal and store weapons belonging to the Haganah underground organization. While sliks hidden in other synagogues were discovered by the British government on “Black Sabbath”, the one in Ness Ziona was not uncovered.

The Conservation Work

The conservation work included both the exterior and interior of the building and was completed in 2019. The work included the preservation of stone walls at the basement level, as well as the concrete-brick construction of the main floor. It also included the restoration of the sloped roof and conservation of the wooden ceiling beams. The prefabricated concrete pilasters decorating the main façade were reconstructed, forming a unique roof railing that gives the front of the building its distinctive shape. Wooden details and frames that had been worn out or replaced over the years were restored, including 12 arched windows decorated with the Star of David, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel.

The work also included the exposure and restoration of remarkable wall paintings by Dov Krause, painted in the 1920s, as well as modern additions painted by Zvi Kimchi.

The Conservation Work Original Stairs Concrete Railing Top Windows Pilaster

Original Stairs

Reconstruction of the original stairs leading to the women’s gallery. The staircase features prefabricated cast-concrete details, accompanied by a wrought-iron railing and a decorative hand-carved wooden handrail. A modern structural component supports the stairway.

Concrete Railing

A prefabricated cast-concrete railing made up of decorative balusters runs along the parapet. The balustrade effectively conceals the sloped roof behind.

Top Windows

A unique window frame reminiscent of the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. This wooden representation carries the central Jewish symbol onto the main façade and defines an architectural focal point clearly visible from afar.

Pilaster

A shallow rectangular feature projecting from a wall, with a capital and base, usually imitating the form of a column. In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting or load-bearing component, articulating a section of the wall, although its function is purely ornamental.

Great Synagogue of Ness Ziona

Before

During

The Conservation Work

Original Stairs

Concrete Railing

Top Windows

Pilaster

After