Ancienne Synagogue des Bottiers et l’Hôpital Dr. Leon Ghelerter

RO EN IT

Cet article sera traduit bientôt.

The Synagogue of Cismari was a Jewish religious house, in a house built in the beginning of the 19^th century. In that time, many synagogues and houses of prayer were made in plain buildings due to the rapid growth of the Jewish community.

The Jewish gilds were forced to take care of their own synagogues. The present building belonged to the members of the gild which dealt with shoe making, until the Second World War. Afterwards, a maintenance and repair shop for medical apparatus functioned here, as well as Police’s archive.

The building’s architecture remarks itself through the tall entrance, flanked by two curved windows, at the end of some semi-circular stairs. The gable presents a flower decoration, and under the cornice adorned with small consoles, we can notice round little windows for the attic’s lighting. Nowadays, the building of the former Synagogue of Cismari is being preserved and requires big restoration works.

Nearby the synagogue, the renowned Jewish doctor Leon Ghelerter founded in 1937 a children’s hospital and a clinic. The building has a lower ground floor and a wooden balcony on the side. Leon Ghelerter has founded helping societies, hospitals and clinics, both in Iași, as well as in Bucharest. His clinic on Ghica Vodă Street, across the tower of Barnovschi church, offered free consultations to all locals, no matter the religion, for lung diseases. He was so-called “the doctor of all people” and has fought all this life against tuberculosis. Dr. Ghelerter was also a strong supporter of socialist ideals, member of different parties and a combative journalist in socialist magazines in the interwar period. Now, the rehabilitated building hosts the “Dr. Ghelerter” Section of the Psychiatry-Neurology Hospital.

The objective cannot be visited.

Trade and Jewish Gilds

The first Jewish immigrants in Moldavia arrived in the 14^th century, especially, Ashkenazi from Central Europe, but also some Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin. Throughout time they constructed in Iași one of the most significant communities in Europe. Because Jews didn’t have access to public functions, they oriented towards trades, commerce, small industry or credit. Jews have been fearless tradesmen, who used to sell alcohol, tobacco, cotton or salt since the 17^th century. Later, they worked as gifted artisans – tailors, blacksmiths, shoemakers, watchmakers, furriers, trap makers, coopers etc. Medicine was a favourite occupation for those with studies, as the case of doctor Shmil at the court of Stephen the Great, the doctors’ gild extending a lot towards the 20^th century.

The passing of Romanians from traditional clothes to European ones was also made through the help of Jewish artisans who brought merchandise from Germany. They were organized in professional associations called gild, each having its own religious house. In Iași there have existed synagogues of Shoemakers, Tailors, Musicians, Old-clothesmen, Butchers, Apple tradesmen etc. Only the “Merarilor” Synagogue exists today, nearby the Grand Synagogue in Târgu Cucu. Some Jews were also doing merchandise or people transportation, with their wagons called rack waggons, which went even all the way to Leipzig. The Jew’s economic activity contributed decisively to the development of the urban environment of Moldavia in the 19^th century.

10. Ancienne Hôpital Juive – Hôpital «Princesse Elena»    1. Office de l’État Civil – Ancienne Mairie – Palais Cantacuzino Pașcanu(Itinéraire Romantique)