Posted By  richards on February 5, 2015    
				
				    Just six months old at the time of writing, the Atrid Synagogue    on the edge of Talpiot-Arnona is a phenomenon.  
    New congregations have been opening in that neighborhood at an    increasing rate in the past 20 years, and they all seem to    attract their regulars without substantially reducing the    numbers in existing synagogues  an enigma in itself. But most    continue in makeshift premises such as schools, kindergartens,    and youth clubs, holding out for the something financial that    might turn up to promote building on a permanent basis.    Indeed, visitors to the area looking for somewhere to pray need    to ask around.  
    By contrast, the large, built-from-scratch, modern, Atrid    Synagogue stands assertively with grassy surrounds on its own    plot of land. Its something financial came from upfront    donors on a very generous scale. They duly named it after one    of the deceased Moroccan sages, Rabbi Isaac Deri  whose    acronym, ATRID, contributed to the name of the synagogue.  
    The main entrance leads into a spacious glass-chandeliered    entrance hall, whose decorative themes include its 2014    foundation events, and its sense of purpose. The latter     prominently displayed - states exactly what its doing in the    neighborhood.  
    Sephardi-Moroccan-French in both manner and mode of prayer,    Atrid should be a place where all types of people can join in    and feel spiritually enriched where worshippers should be    able to pray with joy in a Sephardi synagogue that comes to    terms with realities of modern life. With educational and    cultural events for all age groups, it carries the objectives    of enabling the synagogue youth to lead the services with    confidence, helping new immigrants acclimatize and feel at    home within Israeli society and be physically user friendly    to those with physical disabilities.  
    To which might be added, provider of a three quality mikvaot    (ritual immersion baths), one for utensils, one for men    (operated by a 10-shekel slot turnstile), and one for women.    Men are quaintly enjoined to keep their discreet distance when    the women's ritual bath is opened at nighttime. Hitherto, those    requiring those facilities had to go outside the neighborhood.  
    The main synagogue seats more than 200 men and upstairs, over    120 women. It was virtually standing room only on the Friday    night of my visit, though a kindly gentleman immediately    approached with an offer of a seat in a row that Id    overlooked.  
    The short derasha (sermon) given by its charismatic    French-trained, Israel-experienced Rabbi Yaakov Levi blended    erudite scholarship with topical issues.  
    The interior dcor is stunning without being showy. Its main    theme is the broad-leafed tree, and one is boldly embroidered    on the ark curtain. Another emblazoned on the eastern wall    bears memorial golden plaques celebrating the lives of the    deceased. It is filling up so quickly that plans are afoot to    put up another tree.  
    The ark itself is surrounded with motifs representing the    Biblical characteristics of the twelve tribes. In contrast to    many Ashkenazi synagogues, there are no images of life    creatures, in keeping with a very strict interpretation of the    Second Commandment against images.  
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The Atrid Synagogue in Talpiot-Arnona, Jerusalem
				
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