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Kenesa is the term for a Karaite or Persian
Persian Jews

|||}Persian Jews or Iranian Jews are Jews historically associated Iran, which was known internationally as Persia until 1935.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran and dates back to the late biblical times....
 synagogue
Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer.Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer , smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices....
. The word derives from the Aramaic word for "assembly" (in Hebrew
Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Modern Hebrew is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Classical Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jews communities around the world....
, the word for synagogue is beit knesset).


Surviving kenesas
There were 20 kenesas in former Russian Empire
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
, 9 of them in Crimea
Crimea

Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name....
 (by 1918, two more were added).






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Kenesa is the term for a Karaite or Persian
Persian Jews

|||}Persian Jews or Iranian Jews are Jews historically associated Iran, which was known internationally as Persia until 1935.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran and dates back to the late biblical times....
 synagogue
Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer.Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer , smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices....
. The word derives from the Aramaic word for "assembly" (in Hebrew
Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Modern Hebrew is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Classical Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jews communities around the world....
, the word for synagogue is beit knesset).

Layout


Kenesas, generally, are similar to the synagogues of Rabbinical Jews. Uniquely, they are always laid out along north-south axis. Starting from the northern entrance, kenesa contains:
  • Vestibule (azar), where worshippers take off their shoes. Shoes are not permitted anywhere further
  • Moshav Zekenim (old men's pew
    Pew

    A pew is a long bench furniture bench used for chair seating members of a Church building church's congregation.Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the coming of the Protestant Reformation....
    s    ) - wooden benches for the old and the mourners, usually under a low ceiling. The loft above this ceiling is reserved for the women, who remain invisible to the men on the main floor
  • Shulkhan - the main hall, where men and boys worship on their knees. Traditional kenesa floors were carpeted, however, modern kenesas have pews in the main hall, too
  • Gekhan, or altar
    Altar

    An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
     - raised stand for the ritual Ark and the priest


Surviving kenesas


There were 20 kenesas in former Russian Empire
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
, 9 of them in Crimea
Crimea

Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name....
 (by 1918, two more were added). All surviving kenesas are listed memorial buildings, however, many are in dilapidated state, and others, like Sebastopol
Sevastopol

Sevastopol is a port in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . The city, formerly the home of the Soviet Union Black Sea Fleet, is now a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy....
 kenesa, although in better shape, are managed by public authorities or private owners, not the karaite communities. The principal, operating place of Karaite worship in Ukraine is located in Eupatoria
Eupatoria

Yevpatoria or Eupatoria is a city in Crimea, Ukraine....
, Crimea
Crimea

Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name....
. It actually contains two independent kenesas, re-opened to the public in 2005 and 1999.

Kenesas in Lithuania were built in the 14th century; in Trakai
Trakai

Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination....
, Biržai
Biržai

Bir?ai is a town in northern Lithuania. Bir?ai is famous for its reconstructed Bir?ai Castle, and the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries....
, Kedainiai
Kedainiai

Kedainiai is one of the oldest city in Lithuania. It is located on the Neve?is River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2008 was 30,214....
, Panevežys
Panevežys

Paneve?ys is the fifth largest List of cities in Lithuania in Lithuania. It occupies 50 square kilometers with more than 115,000 inhabitants....
 and Vilnius
Vilnius

Vilnius is the largest city and the Capital of Lithuania, with a population of 555,613 as of 2008. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality....
. An early 20th century kenesa still stands in Trakai
Trakai

Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination....
, Lithuania
Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
 and another one in Vilnius
Vilnius

Vilnius is the largest city and the Capital of Lithuania, with a population of 555,613 as of 2008. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality....
; both are in service.

Sources

  • Album "Karaite kenassas in Eupatoria and other kenassas of the world", ed. by V. V. Mireyev, Simpferopol, 2006 = ?????? "???????? ?????????? ?????? ? ????????? ? ?????? ??????? ? ????", ???. ?. ?. ??p???, C??????????, 2006