Orthodox Sephardi synagogue in Gibraltar, founded 1820 for Moroccan immigrants.
Abudarham Synagogue, or Esnoga Abudarham, is an Orthodox Sephardi synagogue at 19 Parliament Lane, Gibraltar. Founded in 1820 for a new wave of Jewish immigrants from Morocco, it occupies a former Masonic lodge and yeshiva. It remains active and once faced an attempted theft of its historic bells.
Abudarham Synagogue, also known as Esnoga Abudarham, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue and congregation in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is located at 19 Parliament Lane. The synagogue follows Orthodox rituals with Gibraltarian and Moroccan Sephardi nusach and is affiliated with the Jewish Community of Gibraltar. The building originally served as the Freemasons’ Hall. It then became the Academy or yeshiva of Rabbi Solomon Abudarham, who died in a yellow fever epidemic in 1804. In 1820, the academy on Parliament Lane was converted into a synagogue by congregants of the Great Synagogue who were recent immigrants from Morocco and wanted a smaller, more informal setting. Abudarham Synagogue is described as a small place of worship with wooden pews facing the bimah, the elevated platform from which the Torah is read. It is the fourth and most recent of the active synagogues established in Gibraltar. The synagogue possesses historic Rimonim bells, about 60 centimetres high. In April 2000, two Israeli citizens attempted to steal these antique bells. The synagogue remains active within the local Jewish community and offers marriage certification services under the auspices of the Jewish Community of Gibraltar.
