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The Allure of the ‘Exotic’ Sephardic

JL;DR SUMMARY The New Synagogue in Berlin, dedicated in 1866, became renowned for its impressive architectural design that blended Islamic and Romanesque styles, incorporating elements from North African and Persian mosques, as well as European interpretations. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

SynagogueSephardicBerlinCultural FusionGerman JewryArchitectureLewis CarrollIslamicRomanesqueOtto Von Bismarck

Places mentioned

Berlin, Germany
"On Sept. 5, 1866, a new synagogue was dedicated in Berlin."
Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
"such Sephardic-style synagogues, from small ones in rural areas to those in big cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden."
Dresden, Saxony, Germany
"such Sephardic-style synagogues, from small ones in rural areas to those in big cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden."
Seville, Spain
"North African mosques and the Giralda, a late 12th-century mosque in Seville, while the magnificent crenellations that adorned the top of the synagogue were typical of those found in Cairene mosques."
Brighton, England, United Kingdom
"not to mention the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, a royal seaside palace with Indo-Saracenic architecture."
Cairo, Egypt
"Giralda, a late 12th-century mosque in Seville, while the magnificent crenellations that adorned the top of the synagogue were typical of those found in Cairene mosques."

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Retrieved 2026-04-14 05:30:51 UTC
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