The rehabilitation of downtown Beirut’s Magen Avraham synagogue will begin this summer, according to sources in the Jewish community. Once the largest synagogue in the Middle East, the Lebanese Civil War and the Israeli invasion of 1982 left the synagogue in ruins, a state it’s remained in for more than 20 years; but, funds have now been raised for its reconstruction. The architect in charge of the Magen Avraham synagogue’s renovation confirmed to Executive that reconstruction is imminent. With work expected to begin in August, the site will be cleared of the trees and weeds that have grown in the partially destroyed structure. The architect, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the money for reconstruction has been raised by expatriate Lebanese Jews and private donations and will cost a total of $2 million to complete. “The synagogue will eventually be restored to exactly how it was,” the architect
