At the beginning of the XX century, in the center of Chisinau on Sinadino street (now str.V. Pârcălab), the largest Choral Synagogue in Chisinau – the main Jewish place of Prayer – began to be built on the money of the believers. A few pilgrims, recently returned from Jerusalem, brought with them 613 pebbles, piously collected from near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. These stones were laid at the base of the synagogue – to withstand earthquakes, rains, winds and wars. Within a few years the synagogue was erected, and its Moorish-style dome was richly painted in The Shape of a sky with all the zodiac constellations.

Although it had withstood several natural cataclysms, after the World War II The Choral Synagogue was closed and the building was donated to the Russian theater “A. P. Chekhov”. The building had been rebuilt and modified several times, until it reached its current image. But still, an internal wall, from the west side, remained the old one. Exactly as in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – only the weastern part survived the years.

In the repertoire of the Russian theater “A. P. Chekhov “we find a successful play on the Jewish theme – “Memorial prayer”. Actors have been playing it for more than 30 years. And as they say – ” As long as this play is staged, the theater will continue to live.” And the Holy Stones still lie at its foundation.