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Shul Built by Germans Dedicated

May 2, 1989
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On the eve of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a new synagogue was inaugurated in Ma’aleh Adumim, just outside Jerusalem.

It was built with the contributions of hundreds of German Christians as a token compensation for the arson of hundreds of synagogues on Kristallnacht 50 years ago.

The new synagogue, Mitzpe Nevo, was built at the initiative of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.

A spokesman for the embassy said that Israel’s Christian friends throughout the world wish to demonstrate their participation in the renaissance of religious and social activities in Israel through this synagogue.

The inauguration ceremony at Ma’aleh Adumim — located east of Jerusalem in the West Bank — was attended by hundreds of German guests. The three-story building includes the synagogue, a community center and a child day care center.

Avner Shaki, a National Religious Party minister without portfolio, said at the ceremony that peace in the area is necessary to prevent a second Kristallnacht and that the existence of the State of Israel is the best guarantee for the continued existence of the Jewish people.

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