Israel to Rebuild Synagogue Demolished During 1948 War
by JNS.org
JNS.org – The Israeli government has made plans to allocate 50 million shekels ($14.3 million) for the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue, which was destroyed by the Arab Legion during the War of Independence in 1948, Israel Hayom reported.
The official announcement of the landmark’s revival is expected to come on Jerusalem Day, May 28.
During the 1948 battle over the Old City of Jerusalem, the Jordanians were determined to prevent Jewish organizations from returning to areas that had been conquered, and made the decision to destroy Jewish sites such as synagogues.
Two synagogues that defined the Jerusalem skyline at the time were blown up: the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue and the Hurva Synagogue. The Hurva Synagogue was rebuilt in 2010, but the Tiferet Yisrael ruins were left as they were. The destroyed synagogue serves as a reminder that Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter was not in Jewish hands between 1948 and 1967.