The Abbell Synagogue in Jerusalem & it’s Must See Chagall Stained-Glass Windows!
Marc Chagall’s stained-glass windows in the Abbell Synagogue at Hadassah medical center in Jerusalem are incredible! In fact, many consider these windows as Chagall’s number one masterpiece in stained glass! What do you think? Whether they are or not, they are simply gorgeous.
If you are in Jerusalem and you are an art lover, then a visit to these windows is a MUST!
[CC BY-SA 3.0]
Where are these Stunning Marc Chagall windows?
The amazing Abbell synagogue stained-glass windows are located in the most unlikely place.
Within a major Jerusalem hospital called Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center is the lovely Abbell Synagogue. This Jewish place of worship serves the patients and staff of the hospital. It is here, where Marc Chagall’s amazing windows are tucked away. Many residents of Jerusalem do not even know about them!!
In 1959, Dr. Miriam Freund (President of the hospital) and Joseph Neufeld (the architect of the hospital) commissioned Marc Chagall to design the stained-glass windows for the synagogue of the not yet completed hospital. They asked that Chagall create twelve windows, each window representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Chagall together with his assistant, Charles Marq, worked on this project from Chagall’s home town in Saint Paul De Vence. It took them over two years to complete the job. While creating these windows, they developed a new technique which enabled Chagall to use up to three colors on a single pane of glass.
When Chagall finished the windows in 1961, the end result were twelve stunning windows, each about 11 feet tall and 8 feet wide.
The Exhibition of the Windows in Paris & New York
Before reaching their final destination, the windows were first exhibited in Paris in June of 1961. Afterwards, they were displayed in the New York Museum of Modern Art in the winter of the same year. In the New York exhibition there were massive crowds queuing up around the block to see these already famous windows. Finally, the beautiful windows reached their permanent home in the Abbell synagogue in February 1962.
“For me a glass is a transparent wall located between my heart and the heart of the world”
Marc Chagall Quotes
Chagall’s windows – The Twelve Tribes of Israel
In the Hebrew Bible, the Twelve Tribes of Israel are the descendants from the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob.
The names of the the twelve sons are: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, Gad, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin and Joseph. Upon Jacob’s death, the land of Israel was divided amongst his twelve sons. These divisions became the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Importance of the Abbell Synagogue Windows to Chagall?
Chagall said that while he was working on these windows, he felt the following:
“I felt my mother and father looking over my shoulder; and behind them were Jews, millions of other vanished Jews – of yesterday and a thousand years ago.” Marc Chagall Quotes
Every window is a summation of Chagall’s personal universe both real and imagined. The windows show Chagall’s love of humanity, his deep sense of identification with his Jewish history and the significance of his younger years in the Russian shtetl of Vitsbk.
The Bible was Chagall’s primary inspiration, particularly the chapter where Jacob blesses his twelve sons and Moses blesses the twelve tribes. On each window you will find a quotation of an individual blessing taken from the bible.
Chagall’s Gift to the Jewish People
At the opening ceremony, Chagall said the following heartfelt words:
“The windows are my modest gift to the Jewish people, who have always dreamt of biblical love, of friendship and peace among all people; to that people who lived here, thousands of years ago, among other Semitic people. My hope is that I hereby extend my hand to seekers of culture, to poets and to artists among the neighboring people.”
Marc Chagall Quotes
Public transport to the Abbell Synagogue in Hadassah Medical Center:
Bus no.19: From Mt. Scopus to Hadassah-Ein Kerem via the center of town operates between 5:30 AM and 11:45 PM. The bus runs every eight minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. Note that the route to Hadassah Medical Center is very picturesque. The drive winds along a mountain overlooking the lovely village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist.
For more information about visiting hours and admission fees, press here
Tip: If you plan to visit, it is recommended to call in advance and make sure that the synagogue is open. Sometimes the synagogue is used for ceremonies or events and is closed to the public. Tel: +972-2-677-6271
Entry conditions have changed because of COVID regulations. Read the regulations below:
Visiting hours will be from 8:30 -16:00 (last entrance – 15:30).
Due to The Hadassah Hospital and The Ministry of Health regulations, the Abbell synagogue will be open subject to the laws of the Green Pass. Only those with a valid Green pass (called Tav Yarok in Israel) can enter. This Green pass is a Certificate showing COVID-19 Recovery or an official certificate showing Full Vaccination.
** Entry into the Synagogue is by pre-registration only. Press here to access the link to pre-register.
Visits will be confirmed by an email providing confirmed details of the requested date and time slot. However, requested dates and times may not always be available due to the limited number of visitors permitted and the availability of guides.
*** Entry without pre-registration and confirmation email will not be permitted.
If you are looking for a guided tour in Jerusalem that includes the Chagall windows in the Abbell Synagogue, check out the two options below:
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See below for more articles about the incredible Marc Chagall, his life, where to see his art and a great historical fiction book about the Chagall family
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