The slow process of restoring the synagogue building in Bytča, Slovakia and creating there a multifunctional arts and cultural center has gotten a boost with the recent granting of a building permit by the city and involvement of a key new partner in the project, the Teraz investment group.
“We are very happy to announce that on October 1, 2024, the building permit for the reconstruction of the synagogue was officially issued,” the Rescue the Bytča Synagogue civic action group overseeing the reconstruction announced on its web site. “With this step, we came closer to starting the reconstruction itself, which is of great importance for us and for the whole city.”
Last week, an awareness and fund-raising event at the synagogue saw the participation of Jewish and civic leaders including Bytča’s mayor Miroslav Minarčík, who voiced support for the project — which is seeking €1.2 million to complete.
“The idea of building or repairing something is always related to finances,” Minarčík said. He thanked Rescue the Bytča Synagogue and said that now,, with the participation of Teraz, “the most important phase follows – to get funds. Thank you also for the introduction to this struggle […] I believe that the synagogue will soon be open to the public. I hope that the people of Bytča will realize what an important part of our history this is.”
Rescue the Bytča Synagogue said that the preparation of the necessary documentation for the building permit had taken more than a year and a half to complete, and the application had been submitted to the Bytča City Building Office at the end of August.
The synagogue was built in 1886 and has long languished in derelict condition, despite sporadic efforts at restoration over the past couple of decades.
Rescue the Bytča Synagogue, founded in 2015, says it hopes for progress thanks to the building permit and also thanks to the new partnership with Teraz, an investment group that operates in central Europe.
“Since 2007, it has been possible to replace the roof, treat and reconstruct the wooden structures, drain the building, reconstruct the railings on the galleries,” it said. To date, “the total investment [has been] more than €150,000. However, it is still not enough.”
Teraz, it said, had become a “significant partner” that financed the “complex project preparation and engineering activities related to the building permit” and has pledged further strategic and funding support.
“Their support also helps ensure the financing of the next phases and strategic steps of the restoration, which are essential for the successful progress of the reconstruction and allow the project to be kept on track,” the web site said.
“Cooperation with Teraz, a.s. is not only about financial support, but also about a mutual strategy that ensures the smooth progress of the reconstruction,” it said. “This partnership gives us the opportunity to obtain the necessary resources to cover the costs in order to revive this precious cultural monument.”
Watch a video (in Slovak) about last week’s awareness and fund-raising event, with participation of the mayor, the head of Rescue the Bytča Synagogue, and the head of the Jewish community in Zilina.:
nbsp;
See our earlier posts HERE and HERE