| The Little Synagogue | |
| Native Name: | lad|Esnoga Chica |
| Image Upright: | 1.4 |
| Religious Affiliation: | Orthodox Judaism |
| Festivals: | --> |
| Organisational Status: | Synagogue |
| Organizational Status: | --> |
| Functional Status: | Active |
| Location: | , Irish Town, Gibraltar, British overseas territories |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Map Type: | Gibraltar |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Map Relief: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 36.1424°N -5.3541°W |
| Established: | 1789 |
| Date Destroyed: | --> |
| Elevation Ft: | --> |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
The Little Synagogue (lad|Esnoga Chica), officially Ets Hayim Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 91 Irish Town, Irish Town, in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
Gibraltar had two sets of synagogue customs. Spanish and Portuguese Jews were accustomed to the formality of Christian church services and, therefore, their services tended to be formal. However, in Morocco, Jews were prohibited from building places of worship under shariah law. Subsequently, they were accustomed to meeting in makeshift groups in their own homes and continued to do so in Gibraltar.
They disliked the formal services at The Great Synagogue, which they referred to as the Dutch Synagogue. In 1759, the Yeshivah, Talmudic Academy, which had been established by Isaac Nieto in Irish Town, was converted into a synagogue for the Moroccan Jews. It was named Es Hayim (en|Tree of Life), but is more commonly known as The Little Synagogue.[2] It is believed to have been destroyed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar and later rebuilt.[3] The synagogue at 47/49 Engineer Lane has colourful tiles, marble floors, wrought iron spindles, and wooden furniture.[4]