Outside the Sofia Synagogue ----swipe----> Inside the Sofia Synagogue 🕍

The Sofia Synagogue is 3rd largest synagogue in Europe, built in 1909 And it's one of the remaining functioning synagogues in the Balkans. It is a Sephardi synagogue with hints of Ashkenazi influences due to the diverse make up of the community.

Religious life in Bulgaria it's just as complicated as it is here in the United States. After half a century of communism where all religious practices we're outlawed, Jewish identity and culture only began to remember is to reemerge in the 1990s. We spent time in and around to the synagogue learning about the religious needs and questions of the community. Just like us here in the US, synagogue membership is low but connection with the Jewish community there's community is that an all time high.

For example, together with the community,

I dined on an traditional Bulgarian dinner 🍲🥗

Listened to Ladino music 🎵

And even learned the the Bulgarian Jewish dance similar to the hora 🕺

There is so much pride of Bulgarian Jewish identity that the synagogue represents but Jewish identity and life exist in so many places outside as well.

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