PlaceJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Old Wooden Synagogue

Historic wooden synagogue in Piatra Neamț, Romania, dating from 1766 and also known as the Besht Synagogue.

Piatra Neamț, Neamț County, RomaniaFounded 1766

Exterior of the Old Wooden Synagogue in Piatra Neamț

Țetcu Mircea Rareș / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 4.0

About

The Old Wooden Synagogue in Piatra Neamț dates from 1766 and is one of the most important surviving examples of historic wooden synagogue architecture in Europe. It underwent restorations in 1826, 1854, 1870, 1928 and again in the twenty-first century. According to a longstanding tradition, the Baal Shem Tov prayed here; this tradition is the reason the building is also known as the Besht Synagogue. The prayer hall is set below exterior ground level and is distinguished by an octagonal wooden dome above the central bimah. The carved wooden bimah and Torah ark were created in 1835 by the craftsman Shraga Yitshak ben Moshe. The alternate name 'Besht Synagogue' is retained as historical context rather than as part of the primary holder name.

Public links

cja.huji.ac.il

Records held by Old Wooden Synagogue

Exterior of the Old Wooden Synagogue in Piatra Neamț, Romania.

JWR VerifiedFounding Record

Jewish Heritage · SynagoguesOldest

Oldest Wooden Synagogue in Europe

Record holder

Old Wooden Synagogue

Record value

Built in 1766

The Old Wooden Synagogue in Piatra Neamț, Romania, holds the record for the Oldest Wooden Synagogue in Europe. The building, which is also known as the Besht Synagogue, was "Built in 1766". This record is defined by the construction year of a surviving wooden building in Europe that was purpose-designed and built as a synagogue. The 1766 date is documented by the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University and is independently listed in Romania's national religious-building database.

Country: Romania
Achievement location: Piatra Neamț, Romania
Achievement date: 1766

View full record