Synagogue in Alexandria reopens

The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria, Egypt, is once again shining in full splendor. The house of worship was recently reopened in a festive ceremony after a long period of restoration. Renovations at the site took more than 26 months. In all, the Egyptian government invested some $6 million (€5.4 million) in restoring the building with its green and purple windows, columns and arches, according to the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue has enough space for 700 worshippers and has a separate room dedicated the storage of Torah rolls – currently, some 63 examples are archived there. The building itself rests on the ruins of a previous synagogue built in 1354. The original site sustained serious damage during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign and had been rebuilt in 1850.

Jewish emigration from Egypt

Still, few worshippers will likely visit the site in the foreseeable future, as only 20 Jews currently live in Alexandria – a far cry from the 40,000 members the congregation boasted until late into the 1940s. In all, some 80,000 Jews live in Egypt.

Life for Jews in the Middle East became increasingly difficult after the founding of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948 – especially in Egypt, where Jews were repeatedly attacked, with several being killed. The situation set off the first wave of Egyptian Jews leaving their homeland for Israel.

A second wave began around the time of the Suez Crisis in 1956, which sparked renewed attacks against Jewish citizens. Ultimately, most remaining Jews fled the country after the Six-Day War in 1967. During the war, the Egyptian military arrested large numbers of Jewish men who were given two options: Leave with their families, or be deported to internment camps.

Read more: The 1967 Six-Day War and its difficult legacy

Although Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in the spring of 1979, the move had little effect across Egyptian society, making the situation very difficult for the few Jews who remained.

'Revitalizing our heritage'

The synagogue quickly fell into disrepair when Egyptian Jews fled to the new state of Israel. Wind and weather took their toll, and the building's substance suffered greatly. Eventually the building was closed to the public.

It is what makes its renovation all the more remarkable. It stands as a symbol of the, "Revitalization of the important heritage of Judaism in Egypt after years of neglect," as Magda Haroun, president of the Jewish Community in Egypt, told the online magazine Al-Monitor.

Haroun says that despite the fact that there are so few Jews in Egypt, the building will nevertheless be an important site, one that is, "open to all visitors, and representing the history of Jews in Alexandria." Haroun adds that she, "hopes Egyptian synagogues will soon be open to all, and that they will become places that nourish the spirit and the soul."

Despite the positive developments, it is highly unlikely that Egyptian synagogues will be used for religious ceremonies in the near future. "We can use them to hold concerts or cultural discussions, because they will not be used for religious ceremonies," says Haroun, citing the small numbers of Jewish faithful in Egypt.

Read more: Muslim and Jewish leaders stnd together in solidarity at Auschwitz

According to Jewish religious tradition, at least 10 men must be present before religious ceremonies can be held, and the congregations simply do not have enough members to fulfill that requirement.

Interest in Egypt's multi-cultural past

Nevertheless, the synagogue will fulfill another important role — as a symbol of renewed interest in Egypt's multi-cultural heritage — one that includes Jewish history. It is something that Antiquities Minister Khaled al Anani referenced at the synagogue's reopening.

"Egypt, where a number of civilizations peacefully coexisted alongside one another for centuries, has a unique cultural diversity." He added that the restoration and reopening of the Alexandria synagogue was a signal to the world that, "The Egyptian government cares for the heritage of all religions."

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has also repeatedly hosted a number of Jewish delegations since taking power.

Israeli reactions

The synagogue's restoration was enthusiastically greeted in Israel as well. "We wholeheartedly welcome Egypt's efforts to maintain Jewish sites that have existed there for more than 2,000 years," said Lior Haiat, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

David Govrin, Israel's ambassador to Egypt, visited the synagogue back in 2016. At the time he said that "the restoration of the synagogue is important, because it is part of our heritage, but also part of Egyptian history. It is astonishing and rare to enter such a beautiful and magnificent old synagogue. It is a symbol of the past, of a time when the Jewish community in this city flourished."