The Karaites, believers in a literalist offshoot of Judaism (Karaite Judaism or Karaism, ), settled in Belz at the end of the 10th century, following the fall of the Khazar Khaganate [REF].
A great Torah scholar, Rabbi Shalom Rokeach personally helped build the city's large and imposing synagogue, dedicated in 1843, which could seat 5,000 worshippers and had superb acoustics.