The Great Synagogue, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Great Synagogue is one of the best known Jewish houses of worship in Tel Aviv-Yafo, standing on Allenby Street in the middle of the city. Built in the early years of modern Tel Aviv, it tells the story of a young community raising a grand building with limited means, and it is still in use as a synagogue and a place for cultural events.

The story behind it

The Great Synagogue took many years to build. Money repeatedly ran short and work stopped for a time, until a donation from Baron Rothschild got construction moving again. The building was finished in the 1920s and formally inaugurated a few years later.

Its history is not only religious. During the British Mandate, the Haganah is said to have used the building as a secret cache for weapons, which makes a prayer hall on a busy street part of the story of the struggle for independence. In recent years the congregation has worked to bring new life to the place, with readings, concerts and other activities meant for a wide audience.

What to look for

• The stained glass windows, which are richly decorated and throw coloured light into the hall when the sun hits them.
• The scale of the building itself, a large stone synagogue standing out among the shops and apartment blocks of Allenby Street.
• The garden around the synagogue, a calm pocket of green just off one of the city's busiest roads.
• If you are able to go in, the historical Torah scrolls kept by the congregation.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 20 to 30 minutes for the outside and the garden, longer if you can visit the interior or catch an event.
• It is a working place of worship, so check current opening hours and visiting rules before you go, and dress modestly.
• Morning or late afternoon light is kinder for photographing the facade and is more comfortable for walking in the Tel Aviv heat.
• Allenby Street has plenty of cafes and shops close by, so it is easy to combine the visit with a break or a longer walk through the centre.

See it on a quest

The Tel Aviv - Trail of Independence passes the Great Synagogue, which fits well with its Haganah past. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.