The Magen Avraham synagogue, which was damaged during the First Lebanon War, was renovated a decade ago • Due to its proximity to the port of Beirut, it suffered significant damage from the blast of the explosion.
The Magen Avraham synagogue before the explosion
Photo:
IP
The bombing in Beirut port on August 4 left the Lebanese capital devastated: more than 180 killed, about 6,000 wounded, 300,000 displaced, dozens missing and a total damage estimate of about $ 15 billion. As part of the overall damage, there is a Jewish institution, which is highly doubtful if it will be a high priority in the rehabilitation operations, the Magen Avraham synagogue in the Wadi Abu Jamil district - only about two kilometers from the site of the explosion.
The synagogue was built in 1925, and served the local Jewish community. In the decade before the establishment of the State of Israel, it served as a transit station for illegal immigrants to Israel. During the First Lebanon War, an IAF bombing hit the roof of a synagogue, but in September 1982, as the IDF advanced into Beirut, a prayer service was held at the site, led by Brigadier General Itzik Mordechai.
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Since the 1990s, few, if any, Jews have remained in Lebanon, leaving no community to maintain the synagogue. It was renovated in 2010 with donations from Lebanese Jews, but a video documenting its destruction as a result of the blast illustrates that its rehabilitation mission will not be easy. The video shows that doors were uprooted, windows and stair railings were broken, glass crashed and part of the roof collapsed.
