The synagogue

Guided tour: discovery of the Scrolls of the Thora, the ritual of Chabbat. at 9:30 am and 2 pm
Completed in 1857 by the elder architect Poisat, the synagogue has retained its original Romano-Byzantine character, as well as its furniture, stained glass windows, and lights, genuine pieces of craftsmen with symbolic motifs. The presence of the synagogue bears witness in itself to the history of a community of Alsatian rite which contrasted with Central European and North African contributions. Its unique history crosses that of Europe to the Mediterranean; it is marked by the construction of the citizenship of religious minorities in France. The synagogue of Belfort welcomes the faithful for worship as well as a large public for the occasion of specific cultural events.

Lecture: A Song, between Menorah and Chofar

At 10:00 am and 3:00 pm
Menorah and Chofar are two powerful ritual objects of Jewish worship! Two biblical symbols at the centre of which unfold a dialectic of time and space. Music and singing are receptacles! We will see with some practical examples (the public will sing…) musical, and talmudic, how this dialectic is articulated, of a divine presence, which tends: from the present moment, to infinity, in unity and multiple. Link:

Facilitator:

Michel Cazeaux is a former teacher of Musical Education. Pianist, singer, composer, and conductor. Graduate of the Ecole Normale de Paris, and the University of Paris VIII. He won a 1st prize for fugue and a 1st prize for composition at the Conservatoire de Montbéliard. For some years he has been interested in the relationship between music, voice and singing in the Hebrew Bible and in the secular and contemporary world.

Le Chofar:

A ram’s horn, a biblical symbol par excellence that refers to the sacrifice of Isaac replaced by the ram by Abraham; instrument of a sonic power that calls to the awakening of the faithful, to the elevation of the soul. He warns, he summons (Exodus 19:16 and 19), he gathers (Joshua 6:5 and 20), he praises the Lord (Psalm 150:3).
The New Covenant [New Testament] Jesus, Matthew (6:2 - 24:31,1), Revelation (8, 9, and 10: 7, 11: 15) evoke the Shofar.
Listen to "a Jewish prayer with oldest biblical wind instrument" by Yamma Ensemble: