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Rabbi Abai Synagogue and Study House, Quba, Azerbaijan
Rabbi Abai Synagogue and Study House, Quba (קובה), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan).
בית כנסת רבי אבאי
sinaqoq yəhudi
Description
Building built by Hillel Ben Chaim. The exact history of the synagogue prior to Soviet rule is unknown. No person shared any details on the identity of Rabbi Abai, for whom the synagogue is also listed as being named on an official placard of synagogue names visible throughout the village. It now serves as a Beit Midrash and dinning hall for village youth. On Shabbat, boys and young men gather for communal meals with local and visiting rabbis. Conversations are all in the local Judeo-Persian Juhuri language, peppered with Russian and Hebrew words.
Sources
Center for Jewish Art: http://historicsynagogueseurope.org/browser.php?mode=set&id=16874
Interview with I. Shaulov.
Coordinates, pictures, and write-up provided by Arieh Scharnberg/Moreshet Adventures.