Synagogue (Göttingen, 18th/19th c.)

"The building used as a synagogue was probably a kind of shed, which was immediately adjacent to the wonhaus in front of it. The floor area was 7.20m in width, 8.20m in length, i.e. 59sqm. The whole building was quite simple and, as it turned out with time, quite poorly made. The entrance was on the west side, as prescribed by the rabbinical rules. Whether there was a special women's section is unclear. In other respects, too, we know little about the furnishings and equipment. It was by no means meager. The Torah shrine, the holy shrine (Hebrew aron ha-kadesh), must have stood on the eastern long side opposite the entrance, a built-in or fixed cabinet in which the Torah scrolls, which were the focus of the service, were kept. There was also a pedestal for the reading of the Torah - known as "bima/bema" or "almemor" - which was probably placed in the center of the room, as was customary at the time. The furnishings may also have included candlesticks and candleholders, which provided light during the prayer times that occurred at dusk and at night. However, nothing of all this has been preserved. It is also no longer possible to determine whether and to what extent the small room was painted in color. (...) A single piece has survived the times, a gate curtain (Hebrew parokhet) hung in front of the shrine. Today it is in the Judaica section of the Municipal Museum and can be called the jewel of the exhibition - not only because of its size (length 213cm, width 123cm) and magnificent design, but above all because of its origin." (Schaller (2006), Synagogues in Göttingen, pp. 27-29)