The old Great Synagogue of Oran
It was on May 11, 1879 that Simon Kanoui laid the first stone of the Great Synagogue. Indeed, even though the Jewish community of Oran had many places of prayer, these were no longer sufficient in the face of the importance assumed by the community of the faithful; too small and scattered across the city, they did not allow their gathering. This is why it was decided to construct a prestigious building; the choice of location was made during the municipal council meeting of September 28, 1867, but it was therefore necessary to wait several more years for the real start of the work, in particular because of the difficulties in raising the funds to finance the building. 38 years were nevertheless necessary for the construction to be completed. It was indeed received in 1918 by the Chief Rabbi Weil, the inauguration taking place on May 12 of the same year.
