A delegation of Chinese officials and international diplomats will join Shanghai’s Jewish community in celebrating the reopening of the historic Ohel Rachel synagogue. Its reopening is connected to Expo 2010 Shanghai which, with its 190 countries and more than 50 international organizations participating, is the largest expo in history.
Ohel Rachel was built in 1920 to accommodate the large contingent of Baghdadi Jews that had settled Shanghai since the 1870s. Founded by the legendary tycoon Jacob Sassoon, the ivy-covered, Greek Revival style building once housed 30 Torahs and had the capacity to seat 700 congregants. With the exception of 2 years during World War II, it operated daily until 1952. In 2002, it was listed on the World Monuments Watch list of endangered buildings.
Before this announcement, Ohel Rachel was not open to visitors as it is part of the Shanghai Education Commission compound, a governmental organization. Regardless, it is seen as an enduring symbol of Shanghai Jewry. Hopefully access to the building will last beyond Expo 2010′s run from May 1 through October 31st.
More information on this story can be found here.
Shanghai Synagogue Reopens « Jewish Multiracial Network « golf社交博客 - May 17, 2010 at 11:19 pm
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