Obj. ID: 3469
Architecture Rabbi Abraham Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia
The synagogue compound is built at the "Hadadim Street" (see: Remarks: no. 1). It includes two adjacent rectangular synagogue compounds, surrounded by a wall and reached through a gate in the south-eastern corner. The wall also encloses an eastern courtyard, which includes a water pit, an orchard, and an additional garden on the north-western side.
The early Rabbi Abraham Synagogue complex is built on the south. It was extended to the north adding the now deserted Ma'atuk Hadad Synagogue (see: History). Each complex once included a prayer hall preceded by an inner courtyard. However, during the years some changes were made, and today the R. Abraham Synagogue is preceded by a western peristyle, which was extended to the north, leading to the Ma'atuk Hadad Synagogue. An adjacent and additional separated inner courtyard precedes its north-western part, leading to a garden.
The Ma'atuk Hadad complex was built in several stages and comprises a prayer hall, abided by a supplementary learning room, adjacent to the eastern wall.
Two arched entrance doors are in the western wall of the inner yard, the southern one leads to R. Abraham prayer hall, while the northern leads to Ma'atuk Hadad. Two arched windows, marked with protruding friezes, flank each door and are adorned with Stars of David. Benches are built along the walls.
The two compounds form one unit, reached through several entrances. The original main door leads to the western inner yard and is on the south-western corner. Two supplementary later openings are on the western side of the wall; the southern leads to the same yard, while the northern leads to the yard preceding Ma'atuk Hadad complex.
The compound building stages
The R. Abraham complex comprising the western inner courtyard, the prayer hall and the eastern back yard, was the first to be built.
The broad rectangular inner front yard is surrounded in the west and south with an L-shaped peristyle. The placement of an additional arcade, which runs from east to west and now divides the court into two square spaces, indicates that formerly it was the northern borders of the court, forming a U-shaped peristyle.
Since the northern compound was built by R. Abraham for the use of his father, Isaac Hadad when he was still active, it may be assumed that the synagogue was built before 1750, the year Isaac Hadad died. However, the praying hall was later divided into two spaces, creating a learning room, while the front court was also separated into two asymmetrical spaces.
An additional extension was built in the beginning of the twentieth century, whereas the northern side of the yard has been blocked, and divided into various rooms. At that time, a door and two windows were opened corresponding to the former arcade.
The back yard is reached through the eastern wall and leads to supplementary rooms, including a genizah room at its north.
R. Abraham Synagogue exterior
The prayer hall located at the southern part of the complex is a rectangular basilica of a single floor with a central square clearstorey. The western wall is the façade, which borders the front inner yard.
The southern side forms the outer wall, the eastern wall is adjacent to the back yard and the northern wall to the Ma'atuk Hadad prayer hall.
The prayer hall is accessed through the main arched door in the western wall, whereas a door leading to the back yard is on the south-eastern corner, and two additional entrances are leading to the Ma'atuk Hadad prayer hall, at the north-western corner.
Twelve rectangular windows, three on each side, surround the clearstorey. Two additional arched windows flank the main entrance, while several others are set along the northern and eastern walls.
The prayer hall is accessed through the main arched door in the western wall. An additional door is on the north, and two other entrances are leading to the R. Abraham prayer hall on the south-eastern corner. An outer entrance to the inner courtyard is located in the southern outer wall, facing the R. Abraham inner courtyard.
Most of the inhabitants of the street are members of the Hadad family and thus, it was named the "Hadadim Street". Many of the Hadad family were silversmiths, while some were successful merchants, who gained during the years economic and political power which enabled them to maintain certain autonomy and live in a separate street. The R. Abraham Synagogue served this large congregation (Mazuz, Yahadut Djerba, pp. 52-53; N. Hadad, Hen Tov, p. 36, note 2; HaCohen, Perah Shushan, Rabbanei Djerba, p. 9).
The origin of the Hadad family is still in debate; Bo'az Hadad claims that R. Isaac Hadad emigrated to Djerba from Algeria (Hadad, Hakhmei Israel, p. 52), whereas the tradition according to Mazuz argues that the family arrived at the island from Libya during the 18th century along with other Libyan families. In the preface to his book, Nissim Hadad asserts that the Hadad families are descendents of Cohanim (Priests) who fled from Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple and found a haven in the island, as well as in Libya, Morocco and Algeria (Hen Tov, p. 36, note 2, pp. 66- 77).
Other Libyan families established another synagogue called Trabelsiya, namely those who came from Tripolitania. The synagogue functioned in the neighbourhood next to the Small (HaKetanah) Synagogue, keeping a certain Libyan rite.
The R. Abraham Synagogue bears stylistic similarities to the Great (HaGedolah) Synagogue, built at the beginning of the 18th century (1710s). Comparisons between the two structures suggest that the R. Abraham Synagogue was possibly built a few years later, and after the Small Synagogue (c.1725). However, in spite of a similar style, which can be defined in the architectonic features, the two synagogues do not share a common architectonic type. Hence, R. Abraham Synagogue was built according to the Southern Tunisian type, as the Small Synagogue, whereas HaGedolah is a local type combined with a structure which originated in the capital Tunis.
sub-set tree: 
Width: 12.75 m
Length: 12.30 m
Height: 6.57 m
Courtyard
Width: 4.20 m
Length: 7.50 m
The Ma'atuk Hadad Synagogue is now deserted.
The R. Abraham Synagogue was built by Rabbi Abraham Hadad in the 18th century. R. Abraham was a wealthy man and the elder son of the well known scholar Rabbi Isaac (Itzhak) Hadad (died on the 19th of first Adar, (5)510; 25.2.1750; N. Hadad, Hen Tov, p. 36, note 2). His important halakhic books were the first in the island to be printed. They were published in Leghorn, Italy six years after Isaac's death by his sons, Abraham, Jacob and Shimon (Karnei Re'em, 1756; Toldot Itzhak, 1762).
The new compound named after R. Isaac Hadad served as a learning house, where R. Isaac studied, judged and engaged himself with the needs of the community (Hadad, Hakhmei Israel, p. 52; Hadad, Sefer Djerba, p. 45). However, during the years, the name of the additional compound was changed and attributed to R. Ma'atuk Hadad, another well known scholar of the same family, who served as a religious judge (dayan) in the rabbinical court at the Hara Kbira during the 19th century (died in 1876; Hadad, Hakhmei Israel, p. 62; HaCohen, Perah Shushan, pp. 42-43). It is still unclear whether Ma'atuk Hadad was active in the compound and used it as his rabbinical court or for any other purposes.
Nevertheless, inscriptions depicted on several ritual objects designed at the end of the 19th century and dedicated to the synagogue, attest to the original name, that of R. Isaac Hadad. An example is the dedication inscribed on a pair of Torah finials (see: Sc.94 (PC)-21), which reads: "A dedication to the Yeshiva of Rabbi Itzhak and Rabbi Abraham Hadad." Thus, it may be assumed that the synagogue was named after R. Ma'atuk Hadad only in the beginning of the 20th century, after his death.
Yehonathan Mazuz relates the building of this synagogue to a robbery attempt, which occurred during Yom Kippur at the Great (HaGedolah) Synagogue. According to this folk tale, following the attempt R. Nissim Hadad (1881-1944) thought it would be safer if people would spread between several synagogues and encouraged the building of new ones, among them R. Abraham Synagogue (Mazoz, Yahadut Djerba, pp. 53, 184-186).
This story reveals some discrepancies between the dates of the events as well as the names of the people involved in the building of the synagogue. Stylistic comparisons between R. Abraham Synagogue and the Great (HaGedolah) Synagogue, built in the same neighborhood, point to similarities which enable to date both of them to the early 18th century. Yet, Rabbi Nissim Hadad was active during the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, when R. Abraham Synagogue was already active. It is possible that the folk story is associated with only a part of the compound named after R. Isaac Hadad, which did not function as a synagogue before the robbery on Yom Kippur. And thus, following R. Nissim's suggestion, the compound became an active synagogue.
Amar, Ariella. “Batei kneset, tashmishei kdusha” In Tunisia, ed. Haim Saadoun (Jerusalem: Ben-Zvi Institute for the Study of Jewish Communities in the East, 2005): 251-268.
Bismuth-Jarrassé, Colette and Dominique Jarrassé, Synagogues de Tunisie: monuments d'une histoire et d'une identité (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre: Esthétiques du divers, 2010)
Mazoz, Yehonatan, Yahadut I Djerba: Sefer Divrei-Yemei-Yehudei Ha-I "Djerba", Oto I Ha-Mefursam Ba-Avar U-Va-Hoveh, Be-Drom Tunisia (Tzfat: Hotza'at Ha-Mehaber, 1978)
Bar-Asher, Shalom. HaSifrut HaRabanit BiZfon Africa, 1700-1948. Jerusalem: Ministry of Education, 1999. In Hebrew.
HaCohen, Shushan. Perah Shushan: Mamlekhet Cohanim. Jerusalem: Itah, 1977. In Hebrew.
Hadad, Bo'az. Hakhmei Israel BeDjerba UbeTunis. Jerusalem: Beit HaOzar Ha'Ivri, 1982. In Hebrew.
Hadad, Bo'az. Sefer DjerbaHaYehudit. Jerusalem: Beit HaOzar Ha'Ivri, no date. In Hebrew.
Hadad, Itzhak. Karnei Re'em. Leghorn: Moise Attias, 1756. In Hebrew.
Hadad, Itzhak. Toldot Itzhak. Leghorn: Antonio Santini e Compagni, 1762. In Hebrew.
Hadad, Nissim. Hen Tov LeMarei Nefesh. Djerba: Aydan Press, 1946. In Hebrew.