A’haré Mot (אחרי מות – After [the death]) – Qédochim (קדושים – Holy)
Leviticus 16:1–20:27 and Amos 9:7–15
These verses gather laws related to holiness, ritual purity, forbidden relationships, justice, and charity.
Leviticus 19:18
וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
This verse[1] is engraved above the large rose window adorned with a Star of David on the main façade of the synagogue of Versailles. Built between 1884 and 1886 in a Neo-Byzantine style, the building stands out for its symmetrical composition, rounded arches, Hebrew inscriptions, and stone gables carved to represent the Torah scrolls.
The structure was designed by architect Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe[2], a major figure in Jewish religious architecture in France at the end of the 19th century. Its realization was made possible thanks to the financial support of philanthropist Cécile Furtado-Heine[3], during a time marked by the massive arrival of Alsatian and Lorraine Jewish families after the 1870 war[4].
Listed as a historic monument since 2010, the synagogue remains an active place of worship, serving a predominantly Sephardic community. Before its construction, the Jews of Versailles, present since the 18th century, practiced their faith in modest prayer rooms, notably on Rue de Saint-Cloud.
[1] The inscription above the rose window combines two verses:
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ You shall love the Lord, your God (Deuteronomy 6:5).
לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).
Above the central portal, another verse is inscribed:
“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” (Deuteronomy 28:6).
[2] Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe (1834–1895), French architect, is notably the designer of the synagogue on Rue de la Victoire in Paris, a landmark of French Judaism.
[3] Cécile Charlotte Furtado-Heine (1821–1896), a major Jewish patron, supported numerous social and religious initiatives, including the construction of hospitals and synagogues.
[4] After the defeat of Napoleon III at Sedan, the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by the German Empire in 1871 led to the exile of many French-speaking Jewish families. Some sought refuge in France and Algeria, while others settled in Switzerland or the United States, particularly in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New York. A few families also emigrated to Argentina and Brazil, while others opted for the Ottoman Empire.