St. Willibrorduskerk

The Synagogue in Lochem is an Ashkenazi synagogue completed in 1865, restored in 1992-93. This brick building still serves as a synagogue.

The synagogue replaced a former synagogue 1840 and is designed J. te Velthuis. To the left of the building was a Jewish school. The backyard still contains the mikveh. The long side wall along the street is built in a Neo-Classical style. The side wall is divided by the use of Ionic pilasters into four segments. Each segment is provided with a large rounded arched window. The synagogue is topped with a hipped roof. The main entrance is relatively modest and does not feature elaborate ornamental detail except for the tondo window above the door. The women's gallery is situated at the western end of the interior and supported by small columns. During the Second World War, the interior was set on fire which resulted in the complete loss of the interior furnishings. The building was sold after the war ended. The façade including its plastered ornaments was renovated in 1993. The Stichting Synagoge Borcule supports the idea of restoring the synagogue and mikveh and transforming the building to a cultural center.

The synagogue was designed by the architect J. A. Mulock Houwer in a distinct Oriental architectural style. The function of the building can be identified as such by the Stone Tablets, located at the very top of the façade. The Moorish architectural features include the octagonal pinnacles and onion-shaped domes which evoke the architectural style of minarets. The close relationship with minarets was strengthened by the fact that the these pinnacles were originally topped with moon sickles while the central pinnacle was adorned with the Star of David. Another typical feature includes the horseshoe-shaped window arches, supported by small columns. The interior of the synagogue was destroyed and looted during the Second World War. The synagogue used to contain stained glass windows depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel but these are no longer present.
The Jewish services resumed between 1947 and 1952 after which the community held their services in the synagogue located along the Lange Bisschopstraat. The original synagogue was repurposed as a reformed church. The Torah niche has since been used as the location for the pulpit and organ. In the beginning of 2018, the Christian reformed community sold the building to Ayhan Sahin who wanted to redevelop the former synagogue into a food hall. This caused the Jewish community of Beth Shoshanna to start their own crowdfunding campaign with the idea of repurposing it as a cultural community center in order to respect the former religious function of the building.