The Jewish presence in Pisa probably dates back to the 12th century, but could be older. Benjamin of Tudela described the city as follows: “All the inhabitants are courageous; no king or prince governs them, the supreme authority being devolved to senators elected by the people. The main representatives of the twenty Jews residing in Pisa are R. Moses, R. Haim and R. Joseph. The city has no ramparts and is located about four miles from the sea. Navigation is carried out using boats that ply the Arno, a river that runs through the city.”

In the centuries that followed, the Jews of Pisa worked in banking and trade, like many of their fellow citizens in this city, which was a crossroads of exchange between different religions and civilisations. Until the 18th century, the Jewish population struggled to maintain its numbers and declined, mainly due to economic decline caused in particular by competition from Livorno. During the Napoleonic era and especially at the end of the 19th century, the Jews of Pisa became fully integrated into social, economic and political life, with Alessandro D’Ancona even becoming mayor between 1906 and 1907. From university professors to soldiers on the battlefields of the First World War, Jews took full part in Pisan life.

As in many other European cities, Pisa experienced violent outbreaks of anti-Semitism following the importation and exploitation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas after the pogrom of 7 October. This was particularly evident at the university, where a professor who opposed the boycott against Israel was attacked by students in the middle of a lecture in September 2025.

The current synagogue, constructed in 1756, has been remodeled several times, most notably at the end of the nineteenth century.