Miniature model of the Great Synagogue of Vitebsk, created by Avraham Raz (1917?-1993). [Israel, late 20th century].
The model, constructed from matches and strips of wood, is a miniature version of the Great Synagogue on Suvorovskaya St., Vitebsk, one of the dozens of synagogues the city boasted on the eve of WWII. The synagogue, which belonged to the opponents of Chassidism, later served as meeting place for Zionists. In 1909, the memorial for Herzl's death was celebrated there.
Vitebsk, Belarus, within the Pale of Settlement, was a large and prominent Jewish city. In 1923, it was home to almost 40,000 Jews - close to half the city's population. Although Belarus was the stronghold of Lithuanian Jewry, Vitebsk itself was a prominent Chassidic center. One of its most famous natives was R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, a foremost third-generation Chassidic leader, who headed the immigration of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov to Eretz Israel in the 18th century. The city also produced renowned Jewish intellectuals and artists such as S. An-sky, Yehuda Pen and Marc Chagall.
The miniature synagogues created by the artist Avraham Raz (Rosenmann) based on photographs were displayed in an exhibition at the Hechal Shlomo museum of Jewish art.
Height: 22.5 cm. Base: 25X13.5 cm. Good condition. Lacking finial surmounting the pediment on facade of model. Lacking several additional strips of wood. Ring for hanging at back of model.