The congregation was founded in 1860 under Ottoman Empire rule and worships in the Sephardic rite.

The synagogue is named after Rabbi David ben Shimon, (acronym D-b-Sh, Hebrew: דבש), who arrived in the Land of Israel from Morocco in 1854 and founded Machane Yisrael, one of the first neighborhoods outside of the Old City walls.

[1] During the 19th century, a greater number of Jews arrived in Jerusalem from the North African countries.

Through Ben Shimon's influence, the group broke off from the greater Sephardic community of Jerusalem and established the Westerners' Synagogue (as opposed to the Eastern Mizrahi Jews) in 1860.

The register adds that people would rise each midnight to study at the synagogue.