Built in the 1920s, the Magen Avraham Synagogue in downtown Beirut stands as a hollow shell of its former self. Once the anchor of thriving Jewish community that included over a dozen synagogues and several schools, Magen Avraham has suffered from neglect and destruction during Lebanon’s ongoing wars and the Jewish community’s exodus. The roof has largely collapsed, the sanctuary is stripped bare, and weeds grow where services were once led. There has long been talk of restoring the synagogue, though no rehabilitation work has yet begun. In the world of Google Earth, however, Magen Avraham has been restored. Install the Google Earth plug-in to visit a virtual 3-D model of the synagogue in its former (and perhaps future) glory.  The building’s roof has been ‘repaired,’ its walls ‘repainted,’ and the wooden pews ‘returned.’ Visitors are welcome to tour inside the sanctuary.

Take a look at this dramatic work in progress:

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