Thanks to new grants, the World Monuments Fund has announced further steps in synagogue restoration projects in Venice, Italy and Iaşi, Romania.
Iaşi — Great Synagogue restoration nears completion
After years of work, the WMF notes that the conservation of the nineteenth-century Aron haKodesh (Ark) at Romania’s Great Synagogue of Iaşi has moved on to the final phase of work, thanks to gifts from individual supporters and the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Preserve Our Heritage, a $100 million program established in 1998 by philanthropist and WMF board member Robert W. Wilson (1926-2013) as a catalyst to encourage non-US donors and partners to contribute matching funds for projects outside the United States.

The new work follows the emergency stabilization of the ornate carved and painted Ark, which was completed in 2015 thanks to the support of the David Berg Foundation.
A WMF spokesperson told JHE that beginning in May 2015
A restoration team carefully dismantled the nineteenth-century aron kodesh and treated all the sculptured wooden elements against biological infestation including insects and mold. Where necessary, the team performed pre-consolidation (reattachment) of the detached polychrome layers prior to removal and treatment of the elements. Prior to dismantling the aron kodesh, the team carried out studies and tests to determine its fragility and damages, revealing that the pieces were too frail to be moved offsite for treatment. A section of the synagogue was identified and set up for the restoration team to perform the emergency treatment and stabilization of the dismantled pieces. Restorers carefully documented the dismantled pieces and developed a plan for conservation works and reinstallation.
The unforeseen extent of deterioration calls for specialized treatment of the pieces before they can be reassembled on the wall. In 2015 WMF made this project the focus of our annual year-end appeal to our Jewish Heritage Program supporters in order to raise funds to supplement the existing project funding and allow for the continuation of the work at the synagogue. Months later, a donor affiliated with the Wilson Trust expressed interest in the appeal, so it was approved for funds from the Robert Wilson Challenge to Preserve Our Heritage, which would be matched by FEDROM.
During a second phase of work in 2016 and 2017, the restoration team will carry out the remaining conservation works, treatment of the wall, and reinstallation of the aron kodesh.
The WMF said that the $76,000 grant from the Wilson Challenge through the WMF, along with the match from The Federation of Romanian Jewish Communities (FEDROM), will be enough to complete the Aron haKodesh project.
The WMF drew attention to the plight of the Great Synagogue by placing it on its 2014 Watch List of endangered cultural heritage sites, underscoring the threats to the building, the oldest synagogue in Romania and one of only two synagogues still standing in a city that before World War II had more than 100. Originally built in 1670-1671, and rebuilt successively in 1761, 1822, 1863 because of fire and other devastation, it is listed as a historical monument.
Since then, restoration of the exterior and most of the interior of the synagogue has been completed.
Click to read our 2015 post about the restoration of the Ark
Click to read a report on the restoration of the exterior of the synagogue

Venice — Synagogue Windows
In Venice, the WMF in collaboration with local partners is working on a project to restore the historic windows in the Schola Canton, Schola Tedesca, and Schola Spagnola synagogues in Venice. All three date from the 16th century and are among five synagogues in the historic Venice Ghetto. This year has seen many events marking the 500th anniversary of the imposition of the Ghetto.
The WMF said the expert team who worked on the conservation of the intricately decorated interior of the Schola Canton in 2014 will repair the windows, their frames, and the leaded glass.
The windows at these three synagogues reveal varying stages of deterioration, including cracking, missing panes, oxidation of decorative and structural metal elements, and damaged finishes. Loose frames and the resultant swelling and separation due to water filtration endanger the conservation of the interior architecture, finishes, and furniture of the centuries-old synagogues.
Funded by a grant from the David Berg Foundation and support from other donors, the project is scheduled for completion in 2017.