17th Century Turkish Synagogue Is Refurbished

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
The Turkish city of Izmir restored a 17th-century synagogue at risk of collapse.
Reconstruction of the Beit Hillel Synagogue began about a year ago. At the time, only the facade was intact; the remainder largely had been destroyed by a pair of fires.
Once the reconstruction is completed, the structure will be turned into a museum, according to the Hurriyet Daily News.
“Izmir is the city of tolerant people,” city authorities were quoted as saying. “This project is a result of this understanding.”
"Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief"
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
