Discover Israel

Life for the Jews who arrived in Jaffa in the early 19th century was not easy. Banker Yeshayahu Agiman noted how Jewish travelers arriving in Jaffa on their way to Jerusalem had to stay in Christian homes. Agiman purchased this property from Franciscan monks to build a hostel for Jews and even constructed a synagogue. The place became known as Dar El-Yehud (دار اليهود – Arabic for "The Jewish House").
During the Arab attacks on the Jewish population in the tragic events of 1921, which escalated further in the violent riots of 1936, this neighborhood was completely destroyed, and only ruins remained of the synagogue.

This fascinating site, now a synagogue for Libyan Jews, was originally built as a hostel for Jewish travelers. It included a Mikveh (מקווה – ritual bath) for pilgrims heading to Jerusalem. The hostel was later abandoned due to the decline in Jewish pilgrimage and was purchased by wealthy businessman and consul Selim Kasar. In 1948, after Jaffa was liberated, Jews from various regions settled in the city according to their country of origin. Libyan Jews established their community here. When they sought a place to build a synagogue, the Franciscans, aware of the building’s history, directed them to this very hostel built in 1740.