Bet Hillel Synagogue belongs to the Kemeraltı group of historic synagogues and is closely tied to the Palachi family and the rabbinic history of nineteenth-century Izmir.
- Area: Kemeraltı (First Juderia)
- Associated with: the Palachi family
- Built: 1840, converted from a yeshiva
- Status: Restored as a memorial space
History
The building first served as a yeshiva, where Rabbi Hayim Palachi and his sons studied. Rabbi Abraham Palachi turned it into a place of worship in 1840.
Rabbi Hayim Palachi (1788-1869) and his son Rabbi Abraham Palachi (1809-1899) were among the most influential religious scholars of the Izmir community. Their reputation reached well beyond the city and drew rabbis from Europe and the Middle East to Izmir. Rabbi Hayim Palachi is said to have written seventy-two books, of which twenty-six were published, and he was honoured by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1861.
What to notice
The synagogue, Rabbi Hayim Palachi’s tomb at the Gürçeşme cemetery and the nearby mikveh are remembered together by his students as connected sacred places.
The building has been restored by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and opened as a memorial space connected to Rabbi Palachi.
Visiting
Please read Visit before making any plans. Access to historic or religious sites may require prior permission.
