“Sinagoga(Synagogue) Israelita Paulista”- The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art

District: Consolação – São Paulo – SP – Brasil

Location: Initially located at Rua(Street) dos Andradas, in 1935 the Congregation rented the first floor of the building located at Rua(Street) General Osório. In 1953 he moved to Rua(Street) Augusta

Foundation: November 29, 1931 – Assembly of the foundation of the “Hungarian Israeli Congregation” in São Paulo

Projects by unknown authors

Description of the building: A double metal gate separates the street from a small open internal space. To the right side of this small space is a construction. The entrance of this, through an old and conserved double wooden door, leads us to a distribution hall. On the left side of the hall, a kitchen with windows, to the right side small rooms, and to the front, a staircase, also in wood, takes us to the upper floor. This floor has long been renovated and stays with dormitories. A small synagogue for the Shabatót and other Jewish festivities has already occupied such a floor in the 1950s and 1970s, with places for men and women seated separately.

Just after the hall, on the right side, there is a library and in the background there is a large hall with lamps, floor and white walls, with two stylized Menorót, Aron Hakodesh in dark wood with red paróchet and Torót inside, lions flanking the “Luchót Habrit “, Bimah also in dark wood, Ner Tamid, upholstered chairs and cabinets with sidurim. This hall, formerly, was used only in Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, but later it was also used in the Shabatót. The space of this synagogue, in its aspect, differs from the synagogues already visited so far. Initially the Aron Hakodesh was located at the end of the hall. A stage, used as Bimah, had been installed in front of Aron Hakodesh. 

At first, the women were halfway to the right side of the room, and the men on the left side, with the Rabbi and the Ark positioned in a raised area at the back of the room. In the late 1980s it was noticed that Bimah and Aron Hakodesh were positioned to the wrong side, and everything was repositioned to the wall on the left side of whoever enters the synagogue, with men now in the middle of the front and women on the side of back “. 

The frequency of this synagogue was mainly on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and was originally composed of Hungarian Jews, neologists. The “nussach” adopted by the Hungarian community was the Ashkenazi. At that time, men and women separated, the prayers were in Hebrew, the speeches in Hungarian..

Current situation:  In the 1990s, when the oldest goers had passed away, their sons practically no longer attended the “Augusta Street Synagogue” and the area was degraded. At that time, the Chabad took over the synagogue and thus they remain performing the Shabatót once a month, in addition to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The upper floor is still occupied by dormitories. The distribution hall features photos of former presidents on one of the walls. The kitchen is renovated, but the windows are original. 

On the ground floor, at the bottom of the small internal space of the entrance, there is a hall with two plaques, 1992, one relating to the former presidents, and another one of thanks and homage, by the board of directors. Bimah and Aron Hakodesh in dark wood and red parochet remain on the wall on the left side of whoever enters the synagogue, with the men in the middle of the front and the women on the back. The old fixtures, floor and white walls with two stylized Menorót remain the same as formerly.

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