At the beginning of the 19th century, in Radauti area, it was attested the presence of a Jewish community which, in 1830, had inaugurated the cult activity in the first synagogue.
In 1880, on the occasion of the visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I in Radauti, a Jewish delegation asked him to help them purchase a plot for the construction of a great synagogue. It should be mentioned that in the same year, in Radauti, about 3,500 members of the Jewish community were registered, namely 31% of the entire population.
On 18 August 1883, on Emperor Franz Joseph I birthday, the Great Temple was inaugurated in the centre of the town, the first service being held by the one who would be, between 1883 and 1909, the new Chief Rabbi of the town, Yitzhak Kunstadt.
Until 1940, more than 35% of the residents in town were Jews but following the war, many were deported to Transnistria and Soviet Siberia. After the war, the number of Jews increased to almost 6,000 in 1947. Due to the appearance of the new state Israel on the world map, many of them immigrated to the new country, action which resulted in the decrease of the number of Jews in Radauti, to only 800 in 1962.
Nowadays, the Great Temple in Radauti, used as a religious house, is included on the List of Historical Monuments of Suceava County.
On 25 July 2012, in the presence of the local officials and the board of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, the Great Temple was reopened after its rehabilitation.
On the same day, inside the Great Temple, it was opened the History Museum of Radauti Jews, an objective that belongs to the policy of presentation and promotion of the history, traditions, culture and contribution of Jews in Romania to the development of the country.
On the occasion of the 130th anniversary since the inauguration of the Great Temple in Radauti, Romfilatelia introduces into circulation a postage stamp issue dedicated to this event.
The postage stamps of the issue reproduce the building of the Great Jewish Temple in Radauti, next to Jewish graphic symbols (the Star of David and Menorah).
The philatelic album is created into a limited run printing of 400 pcs., equipped with the block of
2 postage stamps and the First Day Cover of the issue, both products having graphic elements in gold foiling and being numbered in black from 001 to 400.
