Art Nouveau genius Hector Guimard built this unique synagogue (also called Synagogue de la Rue Pavée) in 1913 for a Polish-Russian Orthodox association. The façade resembles an open book: Guimard used the motif of the Ten Commandments to inspire the building's shape and its interior, which can only rarely be visited. Knock on the door and see if the caretaker will let you upstairs to the balcony, where you can admire Guimard's well-preserved interior decor. Like other Parisian synagogues, the front door of this address was dynamited by the Nazis on Yom Kippur 1940. The Star of David over the door was added after the building was restored, symbolizing the renaissance of the Jewish community here.
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