On March 15, The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) President Alexander Mashkevitch attended the opening ceremony of the restored historic synagogue “Hurva” — the central synagogue of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The “Hurva” synagogue (which means "ruins" in Hebrew) was built in 1700 by the students of Rabbi Judah ha-Hasid, who came to Jerusalem from Poland. However, it was later burned by the local Arabs. In 1864 the synagogue was restored through the efforts of Moses Montefiore and Edmond de Rothschild. “Hurva” became a symbol of national revival, and not only a religious, but also a community center. Theodor Herzl and Zeev Jabotinsky gave speeches on its premises.
In 1948, during the War of Independence, “Hurva” was detonated by Jordanian soldiers. The skeleton of the arch of the dome remained one of the symbols of Jerusalem for decades.
In 2006 the Government of Israel decided to restore the historic synagogue. The current revival of “Hurva” was made possible by a gratious donation from the Ukrainian businessmen Igor Kolomoisky, Vadim Rabinovich, and Gennady Bogolyubov.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, Head of the Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky, the Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, and the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat.
During the opening ceremony, Alexander Mashkevitch introduced a Torah scroll into the restored synagogue on behalf of EAJC.
“The revival of the “Hurva” through the joint efforts of Israel and the Diaspora Jews is deeply symbolic,” the EAJC President said to reporters. “Without Eretz Israel there would not be any Jews, but the Jewish state itself would not have been possible without the Jews of the Diaspora. The renewed “Hurva” is another confirmation that the Jews have returned to their land. And they have returned forever.”