Synagogue Ljubljana

The Ljubljana Synagogue Ljubljana is a Jewish prayer house of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Graz and Ljubljana, which has its premises in a residential building in the center of Ljubljana.
== History ==
The original idea, planning and implementation of the idea is the result of the efforts of Elie Rosen, President of the Jewish Community of Graz, which also manages the Synagogue Ljubljana for the Jewish Community of Slovenia and Jews in Slovenia respectively. Due to the lack of financial resources, it was not possible to establish a permanent synagogue for the Slovene Jewish community in Ljubljana, which until the opening of the Ljubljana Synagogue relied on temporary solutions.
On August 2, 2021, the Jewish Community of Graz and the Jewish Community of Slovenia, led by Elie Rosen, President of the Jewish Community of Graz, and Igor Vojtic, Vice President of the Jewish Community of Slovenia, announced the establishment of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Graz and Ljubljana. The transnational association of Jewish communities was established with the aim of strengthening and expanding the life of the Jewish community of both entities.
The Synagogue Ljubljana with its traditional (orthodox) orientation opened its doors on the day of remembrance for the Nazi pogrom of 1938. The opening on November 9, 2021 was attended by, among others, the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop msg. Stane Zore, Mufti of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia Nevzet Porić and many high representatives from the world of politics, diplomacy and wider society. The Republic of Austria was represented by the Ambassador of Austria to Slovenia, Elisabeth Ellison-Kramer.
Just before the opening of the synagogue, a delegation of The Conference of European Rabbis with Rabbis from Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Poland attended the ceremonial introduction of the Torah scroll into the synagogue on November 3, 2021. The ceremony at the Ljubljana Synagogue took place in the presence of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Joseph Schudrich, together with the Chief Rabbi for Slovenia, Ariel Haddad, the Rabbi for the Province of Styria, Schlomo Hofmeister, and the President of the Graz Jewish Community and Synagogue Ljubljana, Elie Rosen. The Synagogue Ljubljana is the only Jewish institution of the Jewish community in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, recognized by the Conference of European Rabbis.
== Architecture ==
The Synagogue Ljubljana follows a traditional (orthodox) prayer rite: the prayer space consists of a space for men with about 45 seats and a women's section with a capacity of about 25 seats. In addition to the central rooms, the synagogue is complemented by several adjoining rooms, including a common parlour, a kiddush room and an administrative room. The wooden benches in the synagogue were made by the Israeli kibbutz Lavi, the tora shrine is the work of the Austrian-Styrian company Teammöbel from Hartberg, which also equipped the synagogue in Baden near Vienna.
One of the central features in the Synagogue Ljubljana is the blue curtain in front of the Torah shrine, designed by young Slovene fashion designer Matic Veler, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, UK. The curtain pattern originates from typical Jewish symbolism, tailored to the needs of the prayer room, and is based on the idea of ​​transmitting light through a laser-cut pattern, making the reflection of the shadow form a mystical and moving environment. The placement of Veler’s pieces in spaces such as galleries, museums and now a synagogue is in line with his broader design philosophy.
== Jewish Community ==
The Jewish Community of Slovenia, as the legitimate representative of the Slovene Jews, and the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Graz and Ljubljana have no connection whatsoever to the so-called “Jewish Cultural Center” in Ljubljana. As the two institutions point out, the Jewish Cultural Center is not an institution of the Jewish community. The Jewish Community of Slovenia is recognized by the European Jewish Congress as the only legitimate representative of Slovenian Jews.Letter from the President of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor, to the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Graz and Ljubljana, October 29, 2021, Ref. 2110105