This tiny house of prayer, located off the main street of Acre’s colorful Old City market, is a gem of ancient Jewish history and customs that has been polished to its former glory.
The synagogue is named after the Italian sage Rabbi Moshe Haim Luzatto, known by his acronym the Ramhal, who arrived in Acre in 1743.
The Ramhal, who was a controversial figure in his time, is now recognized as a brilliant mystic and ethicist best known for his moral guide Mesilat Yesharim.
When the Ramhal came to Acre, he encouraged the renovation of a small building in the Old City’s Jewish quarter, which later bore his name. In keeping with Italian Jewish custom, the synagogue’s bimah was located in the wall opposite the Torah shrine.
The synagogue’s caretaker keeps a Torah scroll no longer in ritual use on display to explain about Torah-writing to visitors. The Old Acre Development Corporation, which maintains the site, invites groups celebrating a special occasion, such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, to do so in the unique atmosphere of the Ramhal synagogue.
Closed Saturdays. www.akko.org.il