Great synagogue

The Great Synagogue of Lyon

The Great Synagogue of Lyon is the main Jewish place of worship of the town, by the Saône. The Lyon audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this nineteenth-century sanctuary, a witness of the presence and the history of the Lyon Jewish community.

The sanctuary of the Lyon Jewish community

The Great Synagogue of Lyon is the main place of worship of the Jewish community of the town, built in the nineteenth century by the Saône, on the quai Tilsitt. It testifies to the old history and the presence of the Jews in Lyon, attested from the Middle Ages, as the Rue Juiverie in the Vieux-Lyon recalls. After centuries marked by expulsions, the community was able to reconstitute itself and obtain, in the nineteenth century, this fine sanctuary with careful architecture, whose interior is richly decorated. The synagogue crossed the dark hours of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews, a period during which Lyon was a high place of the Resistance but also of the repression. Still in activity today, it remains the heart of the Jewish religious life of the town and an important witness of its heritage and its history. A place of worship and memory, the Great Synagogue of Lyon is discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the main Jewish place of worship of Lyon, a fine sanctuary built in the nineteenth century by the Saône, with careful architecture and a richly decorated interior, a witness of the old history of the Lyon Jewish community, attested from the Middle Ages, and of the dark hours of the Second World War. The Great Synagogue is a place of memory of Lyon. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Great Synagogue of Lyon lies by the Saône, on the quai Tilsitt, in the Presqu'île, reachable on foot. A place of worship in activity, it can be visited with respect; access and hours follow their own conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming and to respect the sacred character of the place.

What is the Great Synagogue of Lyon?

The main place of worship of the Jewish community of Lyon, built in the nineteenth century by the Saône, with careful architecture and a richly decorated interior; it testifies to the old history of the Jews in Lyon, attested from the Middle Ages, and remains the heart of the Jewish religious life of the town.

Where is the Great Synagogue of Lyon?

By the Saône, on the quai Tilsitt, in the Presqu'île of Lyon, in France.