The long disused synagogue in Jászapáti, in east central Hungary has been reopened as a cultural center after extensive renovation carried out with EU funding.
The synagogue, which dates from 1854, was officially rededicated as a cultural center last week, at a ceremony May 30 attended by Jewish and civic leaders at which the shofar was sounded and local victims of the Shoah were commemorated, reported Szombat Jewish magazine. A plaque on the facade listing the names of local victims was unveiled.
The building, now owned by the local government, served as a warehouse for decades after WW2 and then fell into decay. The city won 150 million forints (€372,000) in the Regional and Urban Development Operational Programme Plusz tender, according to Szombat..
Watch a TV video report of the rededication ceremony May 30:
Watch a video about the restoration (in Hungarian, but you can see the visuals):