Egypt to Spend $71 Million on Restoration of Jewish Heritage Sites and Synagogues

Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities, Khaled El Anany, has announced that $71 million will be granted for the restoration of the country’s Jewish heritage sites and synagogues, reports Israel National News.

"There is importance in renovating the Jewish synagogues, just like the renovation of the Pharaonic, Islamic and Coptic heritage," Al Anany is reported to have said.

Lead solely by the Egyptian government, the renovations will be executed without any interference from foreign governments or foreign Jewish organisations. Egypt's synagogues, many of which have fallen into decay over the years, will be renovated and some turned into visitor centres. The Egyptian government had previously allocated USD 22 million for the restoration of Alexandria’s 160-year-old Eliyahu Hanavi Synagoge. However, it was closed off due to having part of its ceiling fall off.

Egypt was once home to a large Jewish community, but are said to be less than 20 in number, most of whom are above the age of 65.

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