A Visit to Beit Bela Synagogue… Plus a Bit of Tallinn’s Jewish History

While planning what to do during our short time in Estonia, we came across an interesting excursion; one that would take us to a synagogue and also introduce us to a little bit of Tallinn’s Jewish history. My wife and I both agreed this would be something we’d like to see and learn more about.

For nearly twenty-five years of my life, I either lived in or adjacent to a Jewish neighborhood. In elementary school, I learned a bit about the Jewish culture from both teachers and classmates, got a taste — literally and figuratively — of the Jewish religion, and had a Jewish babysitter. As an adult, I had a couple of Jewish roommates. So this was going to be a fantastic opportunity to supplement my American Jewish experiences with one in the Jewish community of a European country — albeit a very short, highly concentrated one.

Beit Bela Synagogue

Our Jewish history tour started (and ended) with a visit to a synagogue called Beit Bela, a beautiful glass and concrete structure in a tree-lined neighborhood not far from Tallinn Old Town.

Inside is a relatively small sanctuary, seating maybe a couple hundred congregants. Lots of wood, everywhere. Beautiful stenciled wood paneling. Cutouts in wood panels bordering the sanctuary. Gold-colored figures and paintings on walls and doors, and gold figures on the doorway. All of it featuring tree symbols.

Being that there were so many images of trees in the sanctuary, naturally I wondered what they symbolized. Turns out they represent pomegranate trees. According to Rabanit Chana Kot, Director, Estonian Jewish Center – Beit Bela Synagogue: “In Jewish tradition, the pomegranate is a meaningful symbol. It represents the Jewish people and the abundance of mitzvot (commandments), reflecting the idea that even when someone appears “simple,” they are full of good deeds, like a pomegranate filled with seeds.

“The pomegranate is also associated with blessing, spiritual beauty, growth, and continuity. It was used as a decorative element in the Temple in Jerusalem and is one of the seven species with which the Land of Israel is praised. For these reasons, we chose it as a symbol for our synagogue – a place of prayer, learning, and Jewish life across generations.”

Our tour guide told us Beit Bela Synagogue, also known as Tallinn Synagogue (Tallinna Sünagoog), is one of just two synagogues in all of Estonia. The other was in Tartu. That was before two dreadful back-to-back periods befell Estonia. The first was during the time of Soviet rule. When the Soviets came to power, all religion was verboten within the Soviet Union, which Estonia was part of until they declared their independence in 1991. Next came the Nazi invasion. Both of the synagogues were bombed during World War II by the Nazis.

Beit Bela was the first synagogue in Estonia to reopen after the war. Rebuilt using private funds, it opened in 2007. It is currently the only functioning synagogue in the entire country.

As we entered the synagogue, the men were issued yarmulkes. I guess this was to satisfy the requirement that for men in Orthodox Jewish communities, the head must always be covered. For all non-Orthodox Jewish men, a yarmulke is worn during prayer.

I wear my hair very short, almost bald. The yarmulke, therefore, had nothing to hold onto. I learned from Orthodox Jewish children way back in elementary school that a yarmulke must not touch the floor. If it does, it must be kissed and dusted off before returning it to the head. I’m not sure if this practice is still observed, but I tried my hardest to make sure my yarmulke did not fall on the floor. Because of my very short hairstyle, occasionally when I turned my head too fast or leaned back too far, the yarmulke did slide off my head. This happened probably a half dozen times. Thank goodness I was able to catch it every time.

The synagogue’s rabbi, a bespectacled man with a white beard, told us about the temple and how some of its services are conducted. Following his talk, he guided us up the stairs and into the synagogue’s library. In the “stacks” were lots of interesting books. Walking through the aisles, I looked at the titles of the books. Some of them looked very interesting. Most of the ones that caught my eye were history books written from a Jewish perspective. I would have loved to have read some of those. As you would expect, there were plenty of religious books in there as well.

After completing my stroll through all of the aisles, I sat down in one of the chairs to rest. Three other older gentlemen followed my lead and also sat down. One of them started to nod off. In my opinion, we stayed in the library waaaay too long. Admittedly, I became bored. After another half hour, our tour guide mercifully returned, and we were led into a small hall where we were given some refreshments.

Here, too, we remained way too long. With our refreshments long since finished and nothing else we were able to see inside the synagogue, we pretty much just sat and/or milled about the room. And waited. And waited… I figured the tour guide would’ve gotten the hint by the looks on faces of her charges, but she did not.

Judenfrei

As we exited the synagogue, our guide explained that sometime during the early years of World War II, the entire country of Estonia was declared “Judenfrei” by the Nazis. Judenfrei. Meaning “free of Jews” or “Jew free”. Imagine. An entire country being pronounced rid of an entire people. Was this done by forcing them out or wiping them out? Probably both. Some Jews did manage escape to Russia (Soviet Union) before the Germans arrived, though. Keep in mind that the Jewish community in Estonia was small to begin with, the smallest in the Baltic states.

When the impact of the word, “Judenfrei” hit me, I realized I was standing in a community that was virtually eliminated during the Holocaust. This act was carried out deliberately, by design, by other human beings. Though the community is trying to rebuild itself, the specter of being Judenfrei still hovers over it.

The future of the Jewish Community in Tallinn and Estonia

The rabbi joined us outside the synagogue. There he told us that Tallinn has a small but strong community. However, as the Jewish population ages and passes on, the youth are not stepping up to take up the mantle. That concerns me, makes me wonder what will happen to this synagogue’s congregants — and Estonian Jewry in general — within the next few generations. If my grandchildren ever visit Tallinn, will Beit Bela still exist?

That may sound like a bleak assessment, but there is hope. Relations with Estonia are improving. An Israeli embassy recently opened in Tallinn, resulting in increased awareness of Estonian Jewry. The Jewish Community Center is thriving. There is now a kosher restaurant in Tallinn, right next to Beit Bela. And the youth are coming to the synagogue. Beit Bela now hosts a number of activities; so many that they are concerned about not having enough space. Says Estonia’s Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kot, “A great miracle happened here.”

(Originally published 6 October 2020 as “A Bit of Tallinn’s Jewish History”. Updated 22 February 2026.)

Photo credits: My wife

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