For the past 18 months, the Egyptian Antiquities has been conducting a $2 million restoration project of the historic Rav Moshe Synagogue in Cairo and its attached yeshiva built in the 12th century. The school named after one of the Jew’s most famous rabbis in history, the Jewish philosopher, Rabbi Mussa bin Maimun ibn Abdallah al-Qurtubi al-Israili, best known as Maimonides, for it was the site of his private study.
Maimonides was a 12th century Jewish physician and Jewish scholar and become the most profound codifier of Torah Law in Jewish history. His fame as a physician was widespread and one of his most famous patients included Saladin, the Islamic ruler of Egypt and Syria, and the Muslim warrior most responsible for driving out the Roman Catholic Crusaders from the Middle East.
Rabbi Andrew Baker, one of the officials of the American Jewish Committee working with the Egyptian government was not surprised by the notification that the official opening ceremony had been canceled on Sunday, March14, 2010 in protest, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Organization Czar Zahi Hawass, of the Israeli security crackdown at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem due to the Islamic riots in protest of the Jewish restrictions of all Muslim under 40 years of age from entering Jerusalem and worshipping on the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque.
At the same time Rabbi Baker was sympathetic to the Egyptian position as he spoke these words;
Rabbi Andrew Baker – “The Egyptians appreciate the positive reaction internationally for the restoration work, but they are very cautious of how it plays with a segment of the Egyptian population. They are showing the domestic audience that they are still critics of Israel.
There's nervousness that people will try to politicize this, and about how the general society and the cultural and political classes will receive this, as there is a real conflation of Israel and the Jews and the Middle East in a highly charged issue.”
Today only about two dozen Jews continue to live in Egypt amidst an Islamic public opinion that ranges from being very critical to inflammatory in their hatred and despise, for it is the home of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian chapter called the Hamas. The Muslim Brotherhood, deeply divisive and even to the point of trying to overthrow the Mubarak Egyptian government in the past, has forced the government to be very delicate in its dealing with the Netanyahu government in Israel. According to the Egyptian Antiquities Organization Czar (EAO) Zahi Hawass to CNN in 2009.
EAO Czar Zahi Hawass – “We are doing this because it's a part of our history, it's part of our heritage, and we care about this temple as we care about a mosque and a church."
Jewish Synagogue in Downtown Cairo in 2006
The Rav Moshe Synagogue is a landmark in the Cairo district that only housed a majority of the Jewish population and called the “neighborhood of the Jews. Three years ago, in 2007, the main Cairo Jewish Synagogue was also restored for its centennial celebration. The synagogue and school will become a part of the giant tourist industry in becoming a prominent tourist attraction.
The future plans of the Egyptian Archeological Organization are to begin the restoration another 5-6 synagogues over the next few years. This concept has strong support of the Jews living in the diaspora, and many are pressing, including Rabbi Andrew Baker, the Egyptian government to turn one of these synagogues into a Museum of the Egyptian Jewish heritage. The synagogue will be open to the general public
Local independent media reported that Egyptian police, soldiers, and civil defense personnel were all surrounding the area of the dedication, closing the streets around the synagogue while the very private dedication was attended by the Egyptian ambassadors from the U.S., Israel, and Spain -- the birthplace of Maimonides.
Credits to CNN articles:
“Egypt cancels ceremony for restored synagogue” – CNN News
“Egyptian government restores historic synagogue” – CNN News