Lebanon: Beirut Synagogue to Open Next Year After Restoration

Beirut Synagogue to Reopen Next Year After Restoration

(ISJM) Bloomberg Businessweek has reported on the ongoing restoration of the Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Wadi Abou Jmil, Beirut's historic Jewish quarter. The synagogue, built in 1926, has been undergoing an extensive restoration for many years, funded mostly by Lebanese Jews living abroad. Isaac Arazi, head of the very small resident Lebanese Jewish community told author Massoud A. Derhally that the restoration, which may top $US 1 million, will be completed this fall. and will reopen for religious services in 2011.

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The article also reports that "The community has also begun to repair the Jewish cemetery in Beirut, where about 4,500 Jews are buried, at a cost of about $200,000, and there are also plans to restore defunct synagogues elsewhere in the country, including one in Bhamdoun, a town 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the capital."