Great Synagogue, Botoşani

The Yiddishe Shul (Temple at the New Market Place) in Botoşani is an Ashkenazi synagogue that was built in the 20th century. This Neo-Gothic brick building is now abandoned.

The Saint John the New of Suceava monastery was built between 1514-1522, during the ruling of Bogdan III the Blind and Stefanita Voda, both sons of Stephen the Great. The building of the church is imposing and it follows the Moldavian architectural style. Inside of the church there is a shrine with the relics of Saint John the New, brought in 1402 by the king Alexander the Good from the White Fortress (today in Republic of Moldavia). Every year, on 24th of June, a huge pilgrimage is taking place here. Thousands of believers gather in the monasteries’ courtyards to listen to the Divine Liturgy and the priests’ words of wisdom and to take part in the procession with the Holy relics.

The (GAH) Synagogue in Suceava was founded in 1870 by the Gmilut Hasadim society. The synagogue was rebuilt many times: in 1910, in 1929, in 1975 and in 1983 (Streja A., and Schwarz L., "The Synagogue in Romania", The Hasefer Publishing House, 2009, 116-117). The modern building, disproportionate and asymmetrical, appeared as a result of numerous renovations. However, three large windows of the prayer hall and smoll windows of the women's gallery on the second floor on the south façade clearly indicate the nature of the building. The women's gallery is located on the second floor and is now on both sides of the prayer hall: on the west and on the north.