Or Zaruaa Synagogue

Or Zaruaa stands in Melilla's historic center and remains a focal point of the enclave's Jewish life. The synagogue forms part of a broader urban landscape shaped by the growth of Melilla beyond its fortified core during the early twentieth century.[1]

The building was designed by Enrique Nieto, a Catalan architect who had a major influence on Melilla's built environment. An earlier account identified Or Zaruaa as the city's central synagogue, a prominent local attraction, and a building in which members of the Jewish community took particular pride.[2]

Or Zaruaa emerged during an important period in the development of Melilla's organized Jewish community. The city's first synagogue was established by the Salama family in 1866, a dedicated Jewish quarter was created in 1905, and the Jewish community was formally organized in 1908.[1]

The synagogue itself was constructed in the early twentieth century. Its construction was financed by Yamin Benarroch, a major philanthropist and community leader who served as Melilla's deputy mayor during the 1920s.[1][2] His support placed a central Jewish institution on one of the city's more prestigious streets and reflected the community's growing civic presence.[2]

Enrique Nieto, who arrived in Melilla in 1909 and helped transform its expanding city center, designed the building.[1][2] Or Zaruaa subsequently became one of Melilla's recognized attractions. Its continued presence has been described as a symbol of the physical and cultural survival of Jewish life in the enclave.[1]

Melilla's Jewish community reached its greatest relative size around the middle of the twentieth century. Following Moroccan independence in 1956, an influx of Jews seeking security near the Spanish borders brought the Jewish population to approximately 20 percent of the city's inhabitants.[1]

The community later declined as residents moved to Israel and cities on the Spanish mainland. A 2004 report counted about 1,000 Jews, six synagogues with regular quorums, three rabbis, and other religious and educational services.[2] In 2026, the community was reported to number approximately 1,200 people within a total city population of about 58,000.[1]

Jewish merchants and families contributed to Melilla's commercial and civic development as the city expanded during the twentieth century. Community members opened shops and established institutions that included the city's first private burial company, its first theater company, and its first photography studio; they were also credited with introducing tennis to the city.[1] The Talmud Torah school, founded in 1924, later became Spain's only private Jewish school combining general studies with religious and Jewish-history education.[1]

In 2026, Melilla's local government awarded the Jewish community a €40,000 grant through the municipal "Route of the Temples" initiative.[1] Funding associated with Or Zaruaa was designated for expert-led tours explaining the history of Jews in Melilla and for dedicated security personnel at the synagogue. The initiative presents guided access to religious buildings as a means of turning them into cultural bridges while preserving their continuing communal functions.[1]

Or Zaruaa is linked to a wider network of Jewish heritage sites in Melilla. The dedicated Jewish quarter established in 1905 includes streets named Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Zion. It has been described as the only surviving living Jewish quarter in Spain.[1]

Other associated landmarks include the Talmud Torah school and a monument to Yamin Benarroch erected in 1997.[1] Or Zaruaa remains the central architectural and religious landmark within this network. Its position in the historic center, its association with Nieto, and its inclusion in guided heritage programs have made it both an active synagogue and a destination for visitors interested in Melilla's Jewish history.[1][2]

In October 2023, following the outbreak of the war in Israel, a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Melilla deteriorated into unrest. Approximately thirty rioters gathered outside Or Zaruaa, burned Israeli flags, shouted insults, and attempted to break into the building before police intervened.[1] The disturbances also included harassment of several Jewish business owners, and police increased security around the city's Spanish-Israeli school.[1]

In March 2024, Spain's Supreme Court imposed a prison sentence on a man for inciting violence against Melilla's Jewish community and participating in the attempted break-in at the synagogue.[1] The report also stated that he had compiled and circulated lists identifying Jewish institutions and other targets in the city. The later allocation of dedicated security funding to Or Zaruaa reflects the continuing concern for the protection of the building and its community.[1]