HISTORY

The Tempio Rabbi Ovadia Da Bertinoro is the realization of the dream that Ladies Neemana (Germana) Sinigaglia and Lidia Servadio, both of them from Italy, had.

It was in the 1940s that several Sephardi families from Italy settled in Eretz Israel and, living in Ramat Gan, sought a place there in order to perform the services of Yamim Noraim.

During the 1960s, the first services of Arbit and Shakharit of Moadim were done in the homes of the Servadio and Sinigaglia families. The dream of Mrs. Sinigaglia was to carry out the building of a synagogue of their own for this congregation.

The core of this congregation was formed by Jews from all over Italy, but as the majority of them and those who were the most religious and learned came from Livorno and Florence, the Ponentino Sepharadi Rite of these communities became the only one of the congregation.

After much effort and devotion, in 1979, the first Shabbat service took place in the basement of the building where the synagogue now stands. Leading it was Hazan Dr. Umberto Genazzani (Hizkiahu Nitsani) Z"L, who was from Florence himself.

This is how the "Tempio Rabbi Ovadia Da Bertinoro" was formed, Kahal Kadosh of Ponentino Sepharadi Rite (also called Western or Spanish & Portuguese), holds its doors open to all those who are interested; offering them a deep, melodious and beautiful tefila, in addition to a pleasant company by the rest of the members of this special congregation.