Hurva Synagogue - an outstanding monument of Jerusalem with the tragic and controversial history. Today it is one of the largest centers of Judaism and a stumbling block in relations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Religious building existed on this spot since the days of the First Temple. In winter 1700 came to Jerusalem from Poland preacher Judah Hasid, accompanied by about 500 Ashkenazi (Jews of Eastern and Central Europe). The community has set a goal: to build on the old site of the Great Synagogue. But the project was too expensive, the community got into debt, as a result of all Ashkenazi just out of town.

More than a century later, he came to Jerusalem with his followers of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov (today Belarus). Renaissance synagogue new community sought to demonstrate the return of Ashkenazim in Jerusalem. But the real construction permit from the Turkish authorities, the Jews received the support of the great powers only in 1854, the first stone was laid a year later.

Construction was slow, the money collected throughout Western Europe. His contribution has made even the King of Prussia, Frederick William IV, whose name is carved above the main entrance next to the names of other benefactors.

In 1864, Assad Effendi, chief architect of the Sultan, completed work. Synagogue called "House of Jacob" - in memory of the banker Jacob (James Mayer) de Rothschild, whose family has always helped the Jewish diaspora. But the people continued to call her Hurva, "ruin", in memory of the stones left over from an unfinished in the XVIII century church.

Synagogue in the neo-Byzantine style, was crowned the big dome with twelve windows. The building was one of the highest in Jerusalem. The ark brought from Kherson, fifty Torah scrolls were kept, the walls were decorated with frescoes. Hurva synagogue, considered the most beautiful of Jerusalem. But the May 27, 1948 during the battle for the city of Jordanian troops blew up the majestic building. During the 1967 Six Day War, the Israeli paratroopers broke into the Old City, on the site of a temple discovered a pile of bricks.

The idea of restoring the synagogue arose immediately, arguing just what to do: create a copy of the same or develop a new project? The famous architect Louis Kahn designed a synagogue, a monument in the form of a majestic pyramid. But it defeated the idea of restoring the historic appearance.

In 1977, the Jerusalem sky Draw a temporary stone arch - a copy of one of the four who supported the dome before Hurva. Reconstruction work under the direction of architect Nahum Meltzer began in 2005, officially opened a synagogue in 2010. The Palestinians considered the reconstruction of a synagogue near the Temple Mount provocation, and protested.

The interiors are carefully restored Hurva the surviving old photos. The windows - elegant stained glass windows, the walls are decorated with murals with acrylic. The plot is the largest of them is inspired by Psalm 136: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion."