Pope Jean Paul II.
Existed a time when Muslims, Christians and Jewish lived like brothers in Lebanon. Where the three monoteistic religions were all present in the same land, where they lived in peace.
The Jewish community was legalized in the time of Ottoman Empire, the community once numbered 22.000 people, and today there are few than 200 living in Lebanon and 2.000 Lebanese jewish living around the world according with the Official Site of Jewish in Lebanon.
After many conflicts and wars between Arab Countries and Israel, Jewish that lived in Lebanon left to another countries. However a small number of people stayed, because they are Lebaneses jewish and want to be in their country and profess their religion.
Beirut’s Jewish neighborhood, Wadi Abu Jamil, were home to 17 Synagogues. Today there are four located in the country.
Now, the Jewish Community with the permission and help of the authorities are planning to rebuilt the Synagogue of the Maghan Avraham in the Wadi Abu Jamil, jewish living outside the country and even the Bank Safra are suporters.
Asking some people’s opinion about the Jewish in Lebanon, many of them said that they don’t have any problem with the jewish, but with the israel’s occupation of land.
An old woman resident from Beirut, that prefered to don’t use her name, said that their parents had very good jewish friends, and also she had not problem with Jewish, but she is against Israel after the political Conflicts. But she said: “We must know the difference between Jewish and Zionism.”
However some people were just against.
While going to take photos on the synagogue, we had to ask permission of a Private Company, Solidere, to take photos in a Public Space, and is not the first time that we had to take permission not from the authorities. But the fact is that they gave me a half permission, but after that they give me a contact, who said that I also should have the permission of the Seat of the Government, we are still waiting...
We dont know the future of Lebanon, but at least for the Lebanese Jewish that lives outside it is a dream to came back to Lebanon, and profess their religion as one day it was possible.
Speaking with a Lebanese jewish in the internet, he said: “I am Jewish, and proud to be Lebanese.”
