Nisim Ben Joya of the Izmir Project reports that the Izmir Jewish Community has obtained legal title to some of the historic synagogues in the city, opening the way to fund-raising and other work on restoration projects and the establishment of a Jewish museum..
Until about a month ago, he writes in a note to Jewish Heritage Europe, the title deeds to the synagogues were not registered in the name of the Jewish community.
This meant actually that the Izmir Jewish Community had no ownership over these synagogues. Lack of ownership created an awkward situation in which these synagogues legally did not belong to anybody, therefore no restoration work could have been done in these synagogues. As a result, some of them deteriorated continuously.”
The Senora, Foresteros (Orahim), Algazi, Hevra, Shalom and Etz Hayim synagogues in the old market area represent the core of the İzmir Project which aims the establishment of a Jewish Museum. The fact that they are now legally property of Izmir Jewish Community makes possible for the Izmir Sephardic Cultural Heritage Association together with the Izmir Jewish Community start looking for funds to start planning and later restoring these old Jewish monuments.