Maghen Abraham Synagogue

33°53′50.81″N 35°30′0.36″E

The Maghen Abraham Synagogue

The Maghen Abraham Synagogue^[1] is the oldest synagogue in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

History

This synagogue was very important to Jewish Lebanese in the early twentieth century. It was built in 1925. It was then named after the son of Abraham Sason. It was used as a place to stay for illegal travelers. Some of the people who traveled without legal papers stayed in the synagogue while going to Palestine. Today, it is now called Israel. ^[2]

In 1976, a year after the civil war began, Joseph Farhi took the Torah scrolls from the synagogue to Geneva. Most of them were sent to Sephardic synagogues in Israel.^[3]

Israel attacked its enemies in Lebanon. This brought anger by other people towards Lebanese Jews. Lebanese Jews became targets to Islamic militant groups since 1984.^[4] But even during the fighting, Yasser Arafat's PLO forces and the Christian Phalangists did protect Wadi Abu Jamil during the 1982 Lebanon War. But, the presence of Palestine Liberation Organization forces in the area brought Israeli attacks that damaged the synagogue itself.

The late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri wanted to rebuild the synagoge, but that never happened. The Talmudic school next to it was broken down. This was to keep view of the beach nearby.

Related pages

• Deir el Qamar Synagogue (Mount Lebanon)
• Beth Elamen Cemetery
• History of the Jews in Lebanon
• Wadi Abu Jamil

Notes and references

1. In Arabic, the synagogue is called "Kanees Maghen Ibrahim" (كنيس ماغن إبراهيم). But in Hebrew, it is called "Beth HaKenesset Maghen Avraham" (בית הכנסת מגן אברהם).
2. Levi, Tomer (November 19, 1998). ""Magen-Abraham" synagogue in Beirut, Lebanon". » History - Maghen Abraham in Lebanon. Corporation Maghen Abraham Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
3. According to the Juifs du Liban.
4. Tomb, Roland (2004-10-20). "Lament Lebanon's lost tribe". » History - Jews In Lebanon. Daily Star (Lebanon). Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2007-06-27.

Sources

• Karam, Dima (October 2003), Beirut Synagogue is a Reminder of a Departed People Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Star.
• Hendler, Sefi (August 19 2006), Beirut’s last Jews, Ynetnews.