Cork’s synagogue was unique in Europe

Last Sunday was a sad day for the remnants of a once thriving Cork Jewish community that at its peak numbered nearly 500 souls (‘Jewish worship in Cork ends as synagogue shuts’, Irish Examiner, February 8).

The de-consecration of the South Terrace synagogue effectively marks the end of a community that had become an integral part of the social and political fabric of Ireland’s second city; a passing that will be mourned by a generation of Corkonians who fondly remember the Albert Rd area which was affectionately known as Jewtown.

The warmth of this symbiotic relationship cannot be overemphasised; I was privileged to be invited to the de-consecration and witnessed the sadness of Cork people of all religions at the closure of the synagogue. This was evident in the tears that filled people’s eyes as the Scrolls left the Torah Ark, or Aron Kodesh (Hebrew) to circle the synagogue for the last time.

This affection was returned in an emotive lament by Freddie Rosehill, the last custodian of Cork’s Jewish heritage who, in a profound tribute to his home city remarked “that the South Terrace synagogue was unique in Western Europe because there was never a need to have armed guards at the front door”.

This remarkable tribute to Cork concluded with a Hebrew rendition of The Banks of my Own Lovely Lee, which had a stunned congregation tapping their feet in delight.

Consequently, the closure of the synagogue is not only a sad occasion for Cork’s Jewish community, but also for the city itself.

Dr Kevin McCarthy

Kinsale

Co Cork