The Grand Reopening

Did you think you would ever see this in your lifetime? Germany’s biggest synagogue, on Rykestrasse in Berlin , has reopened after a lavish restoration. The synagogue was set ablaze on Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938. Friday’s inauguration saw rabbis bringing the Torah to the synagogue, in a ceremony witnessed by political leaders and Holocaust survivors from around the world. The synagogue, with a 1,200-person capacity, has been described as one of the jewels of Germany ‘s Jewish community. Rabbi Chaim Roswaski, who presided at the ceremony, described the reconstruction as ‘a miracle.’ Restoration of the neo-classical building, which is more than 100 years old, cost more than 45m euros ($60m, 30m). The re-opening comes at the start of a Jewish culture Festival in the capital. Did you ever think you would see this in your lifetime?