The Ets Hayim synagogue of Larissa, in central Greece, reopened last month after full-scale restoration and reconstruction work that began in 2019 but was stalled due to Covid restrictions and other issues.
It was a process “filled with challenges, setbacks, and unforeseen obstacles,” the Larissa Jewish community said on its web site.
It required relentless dedication by three successive Community administrations, the committed Project Committee, and a team of skilled engineers and technicians. At the same time, our Community and its members made a tremendous effort to ensure that our communal life remained strong despite being deprived of our “spiritual home” for five years.
The synagogue reopened with a ribbon cutting and three days of celebrations June 12-15 attended by VIPs including Larissa’s Mayor, the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Jewish leaders, Christian leaders, and more. .
“Five and a half years ago, the restoration of the Etz Hayim Synagogue seemed like a dream,” Larissa Jewish Community President Moses Manoah said in his speech.”Today it is a reality, with which we honor our past, celebrate the unity, cooperation and faith that brought this result, and make a promise for the future – a future where our values will continue to be passed on to future generations. Etz Hayim Synagogue is not just a building. It is the heart of our Community. And today it stands tall again, like a tree of life – rooted in the past, turned towards the light.”
As shown in the video below, the restoration entailed extensive rebuilding and reconstruction.
The synagogue was built in 1860/61, after a major fire three years earlier destroyed most of the Jewish quarter. During World War II the synagogue was taken over by the Germans and used as a stable, suffering serious damage. It was fully restored and its interior reconstructed soon after the war, with the aid of the the American Joint Distribution. It underwent further renovations in 1991, with donations from members of the community, other Jewish communities in Greece and KIS (the Central Board of Jewish Communities).
The synagogue is believed to have been originally a Romaniote structure, but the post-war restoration laid out the sanctuary in a traditional Sephardic style: the echal (Ark) on the eastern wall and the tevah (bimah) in the center.
It was closed in October 2019, when engineers assessed the building as being at risk of collapse, and all the fittings of the elegant interior were removed.
It remained closed for more than a year as the community sought funding for the estimated €450,000+ project.
Read a report about the inauguration on the Kahila Kadosha Janina Facebook page