Old Synagogue

In the very center of Jalija, present-day Dorćol, stood the Old Synagogue, known as El Kal Viježu. It was built around 1690, probably on the foundations of older structures. It was a single-nave building, 36 meters long and 8 meters wide, with a hipped roof, an apse facing south, and nine arched windows on the eastern and western sides. The entrance to the synagogue was from today’s Solunska Street, and above the northern side there was a gallery intended for women.

El Kal Viježu was not only a place of worship; it was the center of the entire community—a gathering place, administrative center, school, and court known as the bet din. In its courtyard, Jewish merchants gathered, and the everyday life of the community was closely tied to this synagogue. Over the centuries, it was repeatedly damaged by fires and war destruction, especially during the Austro-Turkish wars, but it was persistently rebuilt.

The last major reconstruction took place in 1819, when Prince Miloš Obrenović personally donated a large chandelier. During World War II, the synagogue was partially damaged, and after the war, in 1952, it was finally demolished. Today, a residential building stands on the site where the Old Synagogue once stood.

In 1869, the New Synagogue (El Kal Nuevo) was built, intended to be a more modern religious center. However, it did not last long—it was destroyed during World War I.

Bet Israel Synagogue

After Jews were granted full civil rights in 1878, they increasingly left Jalija and moved toward more central parts of Belgrade. Thus, between 1907 and 1908, the Bet Israel Synagogue was built on Cara Uroša Street. The beginning of construction was marked ceremonially on May 10, 1907, and the foundation stone was laid by King Peter I Karađorđević. The synagogue measured 35 by 14 meters and was considered by Belgraders to be the most beautiful synagogue in the city. Architect Milan Kapetanović designed it in the Moorish style, with two towers, a large dome, and a striking Star of David. It was the only building of that style in Belgrade. It was damaged during the Allied bombing in 1944 and demolished in the early 1950s. Today, the Gallery of Frescoes stands on its site.

Sukat Shalom Synagogue (Tabernacle of Peace)

It was built in 1926 on the site where an earlier Ashkenazi house of prayer had stood since 1863. Although Ashkenazim were the first documented Jews in Belgrade as early as the 14th century, during Ottoman rule the number of Sephardic Jews was significantly larger. It was only in the mid-19th century that the Ashkenazi population increased, creating conditions for the construction of a prayer house and later a synagogue.

The synagogue building was constructed according to the design of architect Franjo Urban, with the participation of Milan Šlang. In 1929, additional interior modifications were carried out according to the design of architect Milutin Jovanović. Until 1941, the building served as the headquarters of the Serbian-Jewish religious community of the Ashkenazi rite. During the Nazi occupation of Belgrade (1941–1944), its original function was degraded by being turned into a brothel, but after the war it was restored to its function as a synagogue intended for both religious congregations of Belgrade’s Jews.

A bilingual Hebrew-Serbian charter, signed by Rabbi Šlang, King Alexander Karađorđević, and Queen Maria, was embedded in the synagogue’s foundations.

Sukat Shalom is today the only active synagogue in Belgrade.