Ancient synagogue reopens in Cairo

Friday, March 12, 2010 | by

A synagogue in the ancient Jewish quarter of Cairo opened after a two-year government-sponsored restoration.

The 19th-century Synagogue of Maimonides was reopened March 7 in the presence of Israeli and U.S. ambassadors and other officials.

No Egyptian officials were in attendance at the ceremony because of a religious ceremony, according to the French news agency AFP. Egyptian officials are scheduled to attend a formal ceremony to be held Sunday, March 14.

The synagogue, named after the 12th-century Jewish scholar Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Maimonides, is built over the site where he was buried for a short time before his remains were moved to Tiberias in Israel.

The $2 million synagogue restoration undertaken by the Egyptian government took 18 months. It is expected to be a tourist attraction.  There are 11 synagogues in Egypt, but only a few dozen Jews remain in Egypt. — jta