House of Jewish Excellence

The site in Ófalu was used as a place of worship by three consecutive denominations over a period of nine centuries. The community and its church were destroyed several times. Most recently, between 1855 and 1944, it served as the synagogue of the local Jewish congregation. After 1945, it was used as a bus depot, warehouse and fnally as a restaurant, before being rebuilt as a community space by the local authority, with assistance from the Norway Grant programme. The museum built alongside it showcases the work of Jewish scholars using interactive tools. The rendered walls and the tiled roof of the church, side-by-side with the metal-clad museum make for a harmonious blend of old and new.