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Itongadol.- With Jerusalem Day falling next Wednesday, the 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.
An official government announcement about the revival of the Old City landmark is expected to be made during a special meeting on Wednesday.
During the 1948 battle over the Old City, 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.
The decision to rebuild Tiferet Yisrael was originally reached in 2012, and was promoted by Housing Minister Uri Ariel.
The government is expected to announce that the reconstruction will be funded by its own Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd, with a budget set to last until 2017.Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue is named for Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhin Hassidic dynasty. It is also known as the Nissan Beck Shul, in honor of the Hassidic community leader who built it.
The synagogue was inaugurated in 1872, and at the time was one of the most eye-catching buildings in the Jewish Quarter. The reconstruction is expected to be an engineering and logistical challenge.
The area where the synagogue stood has been excavated, and First and Second Temples relics, as well as Byzantine artifacts have been found.