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JWR VerifiedFounding RecordJWR-2026-000267

Oldest Active Synagogue in France

Record holder

Synagogue of CarpentrasInstitution

Record value

1367

Holder country: FranceAchievement location: Carpentras, FranceAchievement date: 1367Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Synagogue of Carpentras, France

The Synagogue of Carpentras, founded in 1367 and still active.Konradm / Wikimedia CommonsSource

Official record definition

The oldest synagogue in France that remains in Jewish religious use.

Measurement methodology

Comparative historic-site review using official heritage, institutional, academic and specialist synagogue sources; counter-candidates were checked within the defined geographic scope.

Measurement point: Documented construction/consecration/earliest surviving qualifying synagogue-building date; for size records, documented fixed seating capacity.

Record story

The Synagogue of Carpentras was founded in 1367 and is recognized as the oldest active synagogue in France. The Jewish community of Carpentras developed under papal protection in the Comtat Venaissin, where Jews maintained a continuous communal presence despite periods of restriction and segregation. Although the synagogue’s present appearance reflects extensive eighteenth-century rebuilding and enlargement, its religious history is rooted in the medieval foundation of 1367. The building contains prayer spaces, ritual facilities and architectural elements that reflect centuries of Jewish life in Provence. It is protected as a historic monument and remains a place connected to Jewish worship and heritage. For JWR, the qualifying metric is the earliest securely documented foundation year of a synagogue in France that is still active; this is why the title must retain the word “Active.”

Media

Direct on-site video focused on the historic Carpentras synagogue.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
5 October 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

France's Ministry of Culture states that construction of the Carpentras synagogue began in 1367. The Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah identifies it as the oldest synagogue in France still in activity, while noting the major eighteenth-century rebuilding and enlargement.

Superiority evidence

The Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah explicitly identifies the Carpentras synagogue as France's oldest synagogue still in activity. The record therefore requires the word 'Active' to distinguish it from historic synagogue buildings or sites that are older but no longer function as synagogues.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Carpentras synagogue media/heritage record — Wikimedia Commons / French heritage index

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Carpentras - Synagogue et bain rituel — Ministère de la Culture, France
  • La synagogue de Carpentras rénovée — Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • La synagogue de Carpentras rénovée — Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Carpentras - Synagogue et bain rituel

    Official recordMinistère de la Culture, France

    What this proves: Official French heritage source states that construction of the synagogue began in 1367 and documents the later eighteenth-century rebuilding.

  • La synagogue de Carpentras rénovée

    Official recordFondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah

    What this proves: Documents the 1367 origin and later rebuilding history.

  • Carpentras synagogue media/heritage record

    Reference databaseWikimedia Commons / French heritage index

    What this proves: Identifies the building as the synagogue of Carpentras.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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