Synagogues And Rabbies Of Bendery Kehilat.In 1861 there were 5 Synagogues, in 1910 there were 10, in late 1920 31 Synagogues and by 1940 only 3 remained
The Synagogues mostly reflected the stratification of the Jewish community, there were Synagogues for the wealthier and for the poorer members.
Among the wealthier synagogues is the magnificent Choral (Great) Synagogue exuding an aura of wealth and influence (became municipal court and bank), the imposing 'Coopers' Synagogue, and the 1896 'new' Wertheim Synagogue a more sombre but still elaborate building seemingly for mid to upper middle class members, it was build next to the 'old synagogue' by an Italian architect on the 'Romanesque style' mostly with funds from the wife of Brodsky Israel Markovic from Odessa. here are some Photos:
The Wertheim rabbinic dynasty has been important to kehila Bendery see http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Bender/ben015.html this lineage of rabbis existed in Bendery for more than 140 years. The father of the dynasty was the 'Old Tzadik' Rabbi Aryeh-Leib, the brother of Rabbi Moshe from Sovran and the son-in-law of the Maggid Nahum from Chernobyl, Ukraine.
The Rizhiner Dynasty of Hassidic Rabbis, are of importance. Aaron-Moshe Shneirson who was a scion of the Shneirson family of Rabbi Shneyer Zalman Shneirson from Liadi (Lubavitch Hassidic).
The 'central synagogue' in Suvorov Ave, was a middle of the road lovely building near by was the 'old synagogue' right next to the 'new' wertheim synagogue now destroyed
A hassidic Synagogue was the 1841 'Sadigurer Kloyz' serving the sadigurskih hasidim, after WW2 it was turned into gym.
A synagogue for the poorer members was the Haruzinskoy, badly made it was uneven, later was turned into a gym, in suvarov street there was the "Tin Smith's" synagogue and the "textile workers" synagogue
Other Synagogues were the "stewards", carpenters and joiners, paramedics and doctors, Shlyapochnikov, doctors and paramedics and the synagogue of Rabbi Iosole Yusim.
A house of worship for very poor members was the 1812 building of the 'society of Jewish clerks'
A Bit More On the Wertheim Rabbies (donated images appear below)
Bendery in Hassidic Literature
The Rizhiner Dynasty of Hassidic Rabbis, are of importance. Aaron-Moshe Shneirson who was a scion of the Shneirson family of Rabbi Shneyer Zalman Shneirson from Liadi (Lubavitch Hassidic).
The 'central synagogue' in Suvorov Ave, was a middle of the road lovely building near by was the 'old synagogue' right next to the 'new' wertheim synagogue now destroyed
A hassidic Synagogue was the 1841 'Sadigurer Kloyz' serving the sadigurskih hasidim, after WW2 it was turned into gym.
A synagogue for the poorer members was the Haruzinskoy, badly made it was uneven, later was turned into a gym, in suvarov street there was the "Tin Smith's" synagogue and the "textile workers" synagogue
Other Synagogues were the "stewards", carpenters and joiners, paramedics and doctors, Shlyapochnikov, doctors and paramedics and the synagogue of Rabbi Iosole Yusim.
A house of worship for very poor members was the 1812 building of the 'society of Jewish clerks'