The large Synagogue
in Brussels in only 100 years old, and yet it speaks to the legacy of
generations. The first designs for this structure were rejected by the
local zoning boards, who felt that there were not "Oriental" enough, and
the result is building that echoes the ornate patterning of older Synagogues
in many parts of the world.
Just as Brussels incorporates several cultures into the fabric of the
city, so does the Synagogue. This image is the record of my experience
in this place, of imaging the mixture of worshipers who came to this Synagogue
from Sephardic and Ashkenaskie backgrounds, mingling differences in language,
religious practice, and history. The grandeur of the building brings them
together, like the fabric of the old faded Torah cover that is at the
right of the image.
français
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