The Sephardic Jews, led by Mr. Isaac Capón, began various activities that led to the founding of La Fraternidad, the predecessor of the current Sephardic community in Mexico.
In their first years as a community, a large part of them moved from the Historic Center of Mexico City, coming to live in the Roma neighborhood. The idea of founding their first synagogue arose with their stay in that town, but was cut short due to lack of resources, but the project would continue.
In the beginning, their prayers were held in the Methodist Episcopal temple located at 5 Gante Street, which was originally the Cloister of the San Francisco Convent, and the prayers were carried out by Rabbi Abraham Levi.
The synagogue project began to take shape in the early 1940s, with meetings, fundraising, and the search for an architect. The winner of the construction project was the architect Francisco Cánovas, who was directed by Víctor Babani, with the purpose of evoking aspects of the Vidin temple in Bulgaria. The Rabbi Yehuda Halevi temple was founded in 1942, becoming the first Sephardic temple in Mexico and the fourth synagogue in the country.
The following documents received in December 2020 are part of the collection of the Sephardic community of Mexico and give an account of all the details of the temple. These are addressed to Víctor Mitrani, Isaac Capón and Miguel Palcci, who carried out the procedures before the government agencies. In these documents, important details can be seen such as the measurements of the temple, its composition and the authorization to open the place of worship to the public. One of these documents mentions every last detail of the building, such as the light entrances and the capacity of both floors that make up the place.
The well-known Monterrey temple is considered an icon of the Roma colony and also a fundamental part of the beginnings of the Sephardic community in Mexico. Currently the synagogue has ceased its religious services, but it retains its beauty and care.
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Source: enlacejudio
