According to various videos circulating on social media, a congregation of 180 Jews of Egyptian origin flew over to Egypt during the weekend to celebrate the opening of the Eliahu Hanavi synagogue in Alexandria following its restoration work. The event was organized by the Nebi Daniel Association, reports the Jerusalem Post. The Sabbath celebrations, which consisted of prayers, reading from scripture, singing, and eating challah bread brought one of the oldest and largest synagogues in the country back to life. Eliyahu Hanavi remains one of two remaining synagogues in Alexandria, due to the decreasing number of Jews in Egypt. It was built in the 1850s and was later closed in 2012 due to security concerns. It is included on the World Monuments Fund‘s 2018 list of monuments at risk, noting on its website that “it is a symbol of Egypt’s historical plurality, when diverse national and religious communities lived and worked together in a spirit of conviviality and religious freedom.” As a project of restoration, Eliahu Hanavi comes within the interest of the Egyptian government to preserve all its monuments and heritage, whether it is Pharaonic or Jewish or Coptic…
Over 180 Jews Fly in to Celebrate ‘Shabat’ at Recently Restored Alexandrian Synagogue
February 17, 2020
