Five synagogues, some hundreds of years old, have been declared “monuments of national historic importance” by the French Ministry for Cultural Affairs. Under French law “historic monuments” cannot be altered but in exchange can obtain the aid of the state-paid architects for any renovation work.
The Cultural Affairs Ministry will also pay for part of the restoration of the synagogues. Some of the buildings are in urgent need to have part of their roofs and walls rebuilt. The synagogues are in Nancy, Mul-house, Soutlz, Colmar and Guebwiller.
A number of Jewish historians and research students have appealed to the Minister for Cultural Affairs, Jack Lang, urging him to set up a Jewish museum. Lang said last year that his department is planning such a museum but that negotiations are still under way for the acquisition of land from the city of Paris or another suitable municipality.
The petition issued by the Jewish historians calls on Lang and the government not to lose time and to start work on the project. Hundreds, some say thousands of artistic objects of Jewish interest are stored in various museums and national collections, sometimes never on view, and could become the core of a Jewish museum of international reputation.
There will be no Bulletins dated September 27 and 28, Rosh Hashanah.
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