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Deja vu — Judith Apter Klinghoffer

Judith Apter Klinghoffer

LAST JEWISH SYNAGOGUE IN TAJIKISTAN IS BEING DESTROYED

Apparently, following a two year battle with the authorities, the Jewish, Israeli and American authorities took their eyes off the ball. So, now, Nathan from Tajikistan reports:

The last remaining synagogue in Tajikistan is being torn down. The Jewish center and surrounding neighborhood have been threatened with demolition for years, but interventions by the US and Israeli embassies and Jewish religious authorities in Tashkent brought previous assurances that the synagogue would either be saved or fairly compensated. The demolition is scheduled as part of a huge presidential palace complex being built in the center of town. Without written warning or any legal notification, the water and phones were cut on 7 February, and the bulldozers came in this week. The building is still standing but half of the property, including the mikveh (ritual bath), classroom space, and the kosher butchery, are demolished. The road to the synagogue is gone and people must now walk over mud and demolition waste to get to the entrance, the courtyard has been turned into storage space for the demolition work, all by order (or with the blessing of) city authorities.

Please, write, contact Jewish organizations. Let's see if we can stop the destruction.

Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 10:02 PM | Comments (1) | Return

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