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Last update - 13:18 18/08/2009
Renovation work underway at Beirut's main synagogue
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel News, Lebanon 

Renovation work is underway at the main synagogue in central Beirut, after approval from the Lebanese government, planning authorities and even Hezbollah.

The work, which is being funded by private donors and a Lebanese construction firm, began two weeks ago, according to various media reports.
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Built in the 1920s, the synagogue is located in the neighborhood of Wadi Abu Jamil, close to Lebanese parliament and other government buildings in downtown Beirut.


The synagogue was seriously damaged during the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war, when looters took its Torah ark and prayer benches, and even gutted its electrical system.

Renovations include mending the gaping hole in the Magen Avraham synagogue's roof and repairing the chandeliers that once hung from it. The Torah ark and prayer benches will also be refurbished to their former states.

The reconstruction work is being funded mainly by a $200,000 donation from private donors and a $150,000 from Solidere - a construction firm privately owned by the family of assassinated prime minister Rafik Hariri - which has been rebuilding central Beirut after the destruction caused by the civil war.

The president of the Lebanese Jewish Community Council was quoted by AFP on Tuesday as saying his community was ecstatic about the renovations.

"We hope this initiative will ensure that the community grows once again," Isaac Arazi said.

Judaism is one of the country's 17 officially recognized faiths, and the local Jewish population numbered more than 20,000 before the civil war.

Today, the several dozen Jews remaining in Lebanon hold few religious activities other than prayer services during the High Holidays. Many Jewish residents are in middle age or older, and affluent.
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  1.   Bravo, may Lebanese of all faiths once again thrive as one 19:26  |  Beiruti 18/08/09
  2.   But I thought that Hezbollah wanted to "wipe out the Jews" 22:14  |  peacelover 18/08/09
  3.   Israel should rebuild former mosques 01:25  |  Secular 19/08/09
  4.   It must be an embarrassment to the Lebanese nation.... 01:42  |  Conroy 19/08/09
  5.   Beirut: Yes, co-existence but your "fable" is just that 07:54  |  Mousa 19/08/09
  6.   Jews under the yoke of Arabs, okayed. 09:02  |  Realist 19/08/09
  7.   Yeah, that synagogue is truly neede for non-existant Lebanese Jew 09:43  |  Terry 19/08/09
  8.   Response regarding Israel building mosques 12:27  |  Shuki 19/08/09
  9.   Reply to #2 13:17  |  Sherlock Holmes 19/08/09
  10.   Reply to #3 13:21  |  Motic 19/08/09
  11.   Hitler`s Museum 13:26  |  Akiva 19/08/09
  12.   to #3 : visit Israel ! 14:07  |  Gilbert 19/08/09
  13.   Proud of Lebanon 16:10  |  Steven Grumman 19/08/09
  14.   pEACELOVER.Peaceloving Nasrallah said send all Jews to Israel 04:08  |  PETER SM 20/08/09
  15.   Thank you for revealing the ulterior motive Beiruti 19:19  |  Ki 20/08/09
  16.   Thank you for revealing the ulterior motive Beiruti 19:19  |  Ki`emli 20/08/09
  17.   Can`t you read Steven? 19:22  |  Ki`emli 20/08/09
  18.   Beiruti 21:02  |  alan 20/08/09
  19.   so many cynics 06:09  |  lb 21/08/09
  20.   peacelover - Indeed. Generating negativity is what they do best! 10:56  |  CJ 21/08/09
  21.   #1: 14:24  |  bachibouzouk 22/08/09
  22.   Jews lived well in Lebanon 21:13  |  Roger 22/08/09
  23.   "several DOZEN jews" 07:31  |  Robert 23/08/09
  24.   doing the contrary 12:39  |  Taha Mokhtar 23/08/09
  25.   What renovation?! 14:30  |  Sam 23/08/09
  26.   The synagogue was detroyed by... 21:21  |  Roger 23/08/09
  27.   Great story, a year late 08:27  |  tel avivit 24/08/09
  28.   Some here areu nbelievable 00:02  |  Arab American 09/09/09
  29.   Great Step 06:54  |  Naji 11/11/09
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