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JWR VerifiedFounding RecordJWR-2026-000284

Oldest Synagogue in Greece

Record holder

Kahal Shalom SynagoguePlace

Record value

1577

Holder country: GreeceAchievement location: Rhodes, GreeceAchievement date: 1577Current record

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Kahal Shalom Synagogue

Kahal Shalom Synagogue — record-holder site.Wknight94 / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 3.0

Official record definition

The oldest surviving synagogue building in Greece, measured by the documented construction date of the extant synagogue.

Measurement methodology

Comparative historic-site review using official heritage, institutional and specialist sources; the claim is limited to the wording and geographic scope stated in the record definition.

Measurement point: Documented construction, dedication, establishment or continuous-use date, according to the frozen record definition.

Record story

Kahal Shalom Synagogue holds the record for the Oldest Active Synagogue in Greece, with a qualifying date of 1577. Located in the medieval Jewish quarter on the island of Rhodes, the Sephardic synagogue is identified by the Jewish Community of Rhodes as the oldest in the country. The record defines the achievement as the oldest surviving synagogue building in Greece that remains available for Jewish religious services. Institutional sources document the synagogue's qualifying date, its identity, and its continuing use for worship.

The record value of "1577" represents the synagogue's documented year of construction, which was established through a comparative review of historic sites. The building survives and is still used for services, and information from the local Jewish community confirms that the site is maintained and open as both a synagogue and a museum.

Media

Video about Kahal Shalom Synagogue in Rhodes, the record-holder site.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
27 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The official Jewish Community of Rhodes identifies Kahal Shalom as the oldest synagogue in Greece and dates the building to 1577.

Superiority evidence

The Jewish Community of Rhodes explicitly calls Kahal Shalom the oldest Jewish synagogue in Greece; it is also the sole remaining synagogue on Rhodes used for services.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

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

  • The Kahal Shalom Synagogue — Jewish Community of Rhodes

Achievement / record verification

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

  • The Kahal Shalom Synagogue — Jewish Community of Rhodes
  • Plan Your Visit — Kahal Shalom Synagogue — Jewish Community of Rhodes

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

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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