In June of this year, the SCA began restoration work on the synagogue of Moses Ben Maimon in Cairo as well as another synagogue in Abbasiya. The Moses Ben Maimon synagogue is an important historical and religious monument in Egypt, and its restoration will return a piece of Jewish heritage to Egypt.

Some people claim that the SCA does not care about the Jewish monuments, but I feel these monuments are an important part of our history. If we do not care about the Jewish monuments, we are neglecting our history. When I became the head of Antiquities in 2002, I made it a point to care for Jewish monuments. I am proud of the work we have done, it is good to preserve the monuments here in their context with the Muslim and Christian monuments that exist alongside them.

Each monument needs to be carefully studied and a plan for restoration made before work can begin. Two years of planning were put into this project before the work started in June, and the results are already impressive.

There are 10 Jewish synagogues in Egypt: nine in Cairo and one in Alexandria. We are now working to restore the synagogue of Moses Ben Maimon. Also known as Moses Maimondes or Rabbi Moshe, he was an influential Jewish physician and philosopher who lived in Cairo during the 12th century AD. His synagogue retained its significance even after Rabbi Moshe’s body was moved to Palestine, and it continued to function as an important place of worship and study. People visited the synagogue to ask for healing from Moses Ben Maimon, making this a unique site.

The synagogue is composed of three sections: one area dedicated to prayer and rituals; one for the cenotaph of Moses Ben Maimon, which includes a small area for people to come and pray for healing, as well as a shaft for purification; and a third section that consisted of rooms for officiants, and for women to observe prayers.

I believe this restoration work is unique, and on March 13, 2010, on the celebration of the birth of Moses Ben Maimon, we will open this synagogue to the world. I hope that all the Jews who lived in this area can come back to their home and see this part of Egyptian history.