| Old Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism (former) |
| Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status |
|
| Ownership |
|
| Year consecrated | 1898 |
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria, Gauteng |
| Country | South Africa |
  The location of the synagogue in Pretoria | |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°44′33″S 28°11′17″E / 25.742589°S 28.188022°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Beardwood and Ibler |
| Type | Synagogue architecture |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1897 |
| Completed | 1898 |
| Dome(s) | Two (maybe more) |
The Old Synagogue, also known as The Pretoria Hebrew Congregation, is a former Orthodox Jewish congregation, synagogue, and apartheid-era court house on Paul Kruger Street in Pretoria, South Africa. It was consecrated in 1898 and closed as a synagogue in 1952, when the congregation moved to a larger site.[1] The former synagogue building was subsequently expropriated and sold to the State for use as a Special Annex of the Supreme Court of South Africa between 1956 and 1977.[2] In this period, Nelson Mandela was a defendant at the court in both the 1956 and the Rivonia treason trials.[3][1] In 1977, it was the setting for an inquest into the death of Steve Biko.[2] It is now a Grade II Provincial Heritage Resource and protected under the National Heritage Resources Act (25 of 1999).[4][5] The building and site remains under the control of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.[2]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
upwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
franwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Memories of Nelson Mandela from Zionist Childhood". The Forward. December 6, 2013.
- ^ "The Pretoria Synagogue". South African History Online. April 18, 2019.
- ^ Pretoria residents want Old Synagogue, a historical heritage promoted. South African Broadcasting Corporation News. 2016 – via YouTube.