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| Ohel Leah Synagogue | |
|---|---|
Hebrew:בית הכנסת אהל לאה | |
 The exterior of the synagogue, in 2016 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Modern Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Robinson Road,Mid-Levels,Hong Kong Island, |
| Country | Hong Kong SAR ofChina |
  Location of the synagogue onHong Kong Island | |
| Geographic coordinates | 22°16′54″N114°08′56″E / 22.281611°N 114.148915°E /22.281611; 114.148915 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Leigh & Orange |
| Style |
|
| Groundbreaking | 1901 |
| Completed | 1902 |
| Ohel Leah Synagogue | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 猶太教莉亞堂 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 犹太教莉亚堂 | ||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 猶太廟 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 犹太庙 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Jewishtemple | ||||||||||||
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TheOhel Leah Synagogue (Hebrew:בית הכנסת אהל לאה,romanized: Beit Ha-Knesset Ohel Leah) is aModern OrthodoxJewish congregation andsynagogue, located at the junction ofRobinson Road and Castle Road, in theMid Levels onHong Kong Island,Hong Kong.
Together with the adjacent Jewish Recreation Club and the Jewish Community Centre, the synagogue and associated facilities have formed the center of Jewish social and religious life in Hong Kong since its establishment in 1902. Originally the community was mostlyBaghdadiSephardic Jews and the synagogue was under the superintendence of the Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation of London. The congregation is now fully independent and has members from across the Jewish diaspora.
Most of Hong Kong's Jews live only a short distance away from the synagogue. An example ofBritish ColonialEdwardian architecture, the two-storied,whitewashed,multi-turreted Synagogue nestles amid the soaring high-rises of steel and glass perched on the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island. The synagogue was designed by the architectsLeigh & Orange and was erected in 1901–1902.[1] In 1998, the synagogue underwent a US$6 million restoration which returned its interiors and exteriors to their original state.
The name Ohel Leah commemorates Leah Sassoon, the mother of theSassoon brothers Jacob,Edward, and Meyer who donated the land for building the Synagogue. The Sassoons were among the earliest Sephardic merchants fromIndia to settle in Hong Kong during the mid to late 19th century.
Ohel Leah is a Modern Orthodox congregation and received its first officially appointedrabbi in 1961. Three other Jewish congregations have also emerged more recently in Hong Kong: theSephardic, which is dominated byIsraeli expatriates; theChabad Lubavitch; and the United Jewish Congregation, which is aligned with the more liberalReform andConservative movements. Many worshippers, however, hold concurrent memberships in several congregations.
The historic synagogue was listed as aGrade I historic building in July 1987. By December 1987, the listing was voluntarily removed as there was talk of demolishing the building.[2] In order to provide the building with immediate protection against demolition, theAntiquities Authority of theHong Kong Government declared it aproposed monument.[3] Ohel Leah Synagogue was consequently saved based on a preservation arrangement agreed between Government and the owner.[4] It was relisted as a Grade I historic building in 1990.[5][6] Its renovation in 1998 obtained the Outstanding Project Award of the 2000UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.[7]
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