Linz Synagogue

We do not build a sanctuary as a dwelling place of God, for His glory fills the whole universe and His holy presence cannot be confined to one room. We build a consecrated place in order to realise that God dwells among us, as a visible sign of divine closeness, as a place of gathering and contemplation, far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. God comes to us everywhere when we call upon Him, but we do not come to Him everywhere. In the worries of everyday life, in the increasing flood of external impressions, in the noise of traffic and the mass media, our hearts and thoughts are distracted from God. That is why our soul is looking for a place where it feels safe and can find God undisturbed, in quiet devotion. We build Him a house so that we can dwell with Him. "It is good to dwell in the shadow of the Most High, to take refuge under the wings of the Almighty."

In this sense, the idea that the Linz religious community, which has become so small, has built a new synagogue is to be welcomed. Not only as a place of worship for the worshippers, but also as a meeting place for the Jews, where they can become aware of their Jewishness. The new place of worship is to become a "Beit Haknesseth" in the truest sense of the word, a "house of assembly and inner gathering". It will fulfil its purpose if we fill it with the Jewish spirit, with the spirit of the Torah, of tradition, with the spirit of Zion. Then the spirit of God will dwell in it.

The Eternal Light that will be lit in this synagogue will become a symbol of faith in God, in the immortality of His teachings and the Jewish spirit, and in the eternity of the Jewish people.

Dr Akiba Eisenberg
Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Vienna