Chile´s oldest synagogue - founded by

Separdic immigrants from Monastir in Macedonia

The first Sephardim from Monstir, the largest Jewish community in Macedonia, was Alberto Levy, who got work as a tailor in the recently founded city of Temuco 1900. Temuco grew from the military fort, established in 1881 to support the military campaign of the "pacification of Araucanía (1861–1883)" and the "incorporation" of Mapuche lands into Chile. Alberto Levy prospered in Temuco and invited his brother. By 1907, his latter and the families of Daniel Levy, Matias Albala, Moises Chame and Alfonso Israel arrived. However, most emigrating Monastir Jews sailed for New York.

Up to the 1920ies, Jews did not feel secure in the Catholic state. Newly founded cultural and religeus organizations camouflaged themselves with such inconspicuous names as Filarmónica Rusa in Santiago and Centro Macedónico in Temuco (founded in 1916). The Centro Macedónico united all local Jews including the small group of recently arrived Ashkenazim. In 1925, the national constitition established - for the first time in Chile - freedom of religion. Shortly after, the first synagogue in Chile was established in Temuco on 15th of September 1928 and named Kahal Kadosh.

Temuco was the city nearest to the epicentre of the most powerful megathrust earthquake ever recorded on Earth, the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (9.5 on the moment magnitude scale). The synagogues was significantly damaged , but  has now emerged again as a spendid building and community centre. Once, there were two services in parallel (Sephardic and Ashkenaz), but most members left for the capital leaving a tiny community behind.

During the 100 year jubilee of the Centro Macedónico, the community renamed itself Kahal Hatikvah, expressing the hop ethat this now tiny community will survive.

More info on Jewish immigration to Chile here and  to Temuco here and here (in Spanish only).