Magen Abraham, the oldest synagogue in Beirut, is being restored [EPA]
Published On 15 Dec 201015 Dec 2010
The restoration is being paid for by private donations and a $150,000 grant from Solidere, the multi-billion dollar private real estate corporation founded by Rafiq al-Hariri, the late Lebanese prime minister and father of Saad al-Hariri, the current prime minister [EPA]
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The grant is being extended to all religious organisations restoring sites in central Beirut [EPA]
The area where it is located was once the Jewish quarter. Known as the Valley of Jews or its official Arabic name Wadi Abu Jameel, it was once a vibrant centre of Jewish life in the heart of an Arab capital [Habib Battah]
But the synagogue and a few decaying buildings are all that now remain of the once densely populated neighbourhood [Habib Battah]
In stark contrast to Jewish communities in other Arab countries, the Lebanese Jewish community continued to grow after the creation of Israel in 1948 [Habib Battah]
But for some the mood began to change after the 1967 war, when Israel dealt a sweeping blow to Arab states. Some Lebanese Jews grew uncomfortable with the growing anger towards the Jewish state and many quietly made plans for departure [Habib Battah]
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Some estimates suggest that half of the Lebanese Jewish community departed between 1967 and 1971 [Habib Battah]
But the second and final exodus of Lebanese Jews came at the start of the civil war in 1975. The Wadi was caught up in the conflict because it straddled the green line between mainly Muslim West Beirut and mainly Christian East Beirut [GALLO/GETTY]
During the civil war, the Palestinian Fatah group established a presence in the Wadi. Some Jews have fond memories of Yasser Arafat and his men, but for others it was a dark time. The few families that remained, like those in other parts of Beirut, faced forced home seizures, kidnappings and murders [GALLO/GETTY]
Magen Abraham shared the fate of so many Lebanese buildings during the civil war - damaged by Israeli shells, it was gutted and, after years of abandon, overtaken by vegetation [Habib Battah]
But now what had been a dense cluster of red roofs on the Mediterranean has been almost entirely bulldozed. In its place, under a collection of cranes, a new district is steadily rising - one of luxury towers and gated condominiums [Habib Battah]
The work is being carried out by Solidere, which envisions the area as its premiere residential sector. The projects under development have marketing slogans like "Redefining business luxury" and "Designed for Life, Designed for Living" [Habib Battah]
Artist impressions of sleek condominium complexes with staggered rooftops and hanging gardens are posted on the perimeter walls of bustling construction sites [Habib Battah]
But critics say only the very wealthy and foreigners can now afford to live in the area, where new apartments cost millions of dollars [Habib Battah]
And they argue that the Solidere approach to the reconstruction of once war-torn Beirut has removed a key asset: its original inhabitants [Habib Battah]
Lisa Nahmoud was one of the last remaining inhabitants of the Wadi and one of the last remaining links to Jewish Beirut - but she was asked to leave by Solidere, who paid a modest sum for her to vacate her bombed out flat [Habib Battah]
Lisa was the only person left living in her building, which overlooks the pristine new palace of the prime minister [Habib Battah]
The other apartments in the shrapnel pierced building had long been crudely sealed with cement and breeze blocks - but the whole building, like so many of those neighbouring it, has now been slated for demolition [Habib Battah]
Grime-covered cabinets, a torn up couch and a few mismatched chairs are among the only possessions Lisa had between her corroded concrete walls. She is now staying with sympathetic acquaintances, but feels burdensome and has moved several times from one overcrowded house to another [Habib Battah]
Unlike their compatriots who fled during the civil war, many Lebanese Jews did not return. But that may be about to change - excited by the restoration of the synagogue, some Lebanese Jews who settled abroad are considering returning, if only to visit [Habib Battah]
But it is unlikely that those who return will recognise the vast barren expanses, asphalted parking lots and construction sites as the Wadi of their photographs and memories [Habib Battah]
