Following a ten-year repair effort, Egypt has reopened the ancient Ben Ezra synagogue, which houses a collection of Jewish texts. At an inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly presided over the reopening.
The Ben Ezra synagogue has a long history, having been founded in the 12th century and later rebuilt in 1889, with a previous repair in 1982. It is named after Abraham ibn Ezra, a renowned Jewish scholar famed for his biblical commentaries during the Spanish Golden Age of Judaism.
It has attracted famous Jewish figures over the years, including the influential scholar Moses Maimonides, who worshiped there and lived nearby. According to CNN, some believe it is the spot where the biblical prophet Moses prayed to God.
The Ben Ezra synagogue is historically notable because it was the site of the late-nineteenth-century discovery of the Cairo Geniza, a vital collection of Jewish medieval manuscripts. The Cambridge University Library currently houses these texts.
According to the Ministry, the architecture of the synagogue is basilica-style, reflecting its earlier usage as a church. The Drop of Milk Association took on the renovation of the Ben Ezra synagogue. The project’s goal was to preserve Egypt’s Jewish legacy. This restoration project included protecting the ceilings and stones as well as insulate the historic structure.
According to Louise Bertini, executive director of the American Research Centre in Egypt (ARCE), Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA) has been actively involved in many restoration and conservation projects in recent years.
ARCE granted the Drops of Milk Association a grant in 2017 to assist the repair of Egypt’s remaining synagogues, including the Ben Ezra synagogue. While Egypt formerly boasted a robust Jewish population of over 80,000 people in 1948, the number has since shrunk dramatically, with only about a dozen Jews left in the country.