Germany's biggest synagogue reopens

Germany's biggest synagogue, a century-old landmark which was torched by the Nazis and left to fester in communist East Berlin, reopened its doors on Friday in the latest sign of the country's Jewish revival.

Located in the German capital's now trendy district of Prenzlauer Berg, the 1,000-seat synagogue has been returned to its former glory thanks to a painstaking 7-year restoration project that cost 7 million euros ($9.56 million).

The restoration of the blue-domed temple follows last year's opening of a new synagogue in Munich and ordination of Germany's first rabbis since World War Two.

But it also comes after a series of high-profile far-right attacks on immigrants and an increase in violent crimes by neo-Nazis, particularly in the poorer former communist east.

Among those at the reopening was 85-year-old Rita Rubinstein, who had refused to set foot in Germany after fleeing Nazi persecution in 1936. Her parents were married in the synagogue in 1905 and she worshipped there as a child.

"It was difficult to come back to Berlin because of the past, but seeing the new synagogue was extraordinary," she told Reuters. "The Jewish community is really blossoming."

Return to Germany

At a ceremony attended by Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, there was a mood of celebration in the towering building. Golden chandeliers now hang from the ceiling, intricate hand-cut stonework adorns the altar and the blue dome glitters with golden stars.

The synagogue was a focal point for Jews in East Germany but fell into disrepair. It has been shut for roughly two years while final restoration work took place.

Germany is now home to an estimated 100,000 Jews, compared with 12,000 after the war.

The collapse of communism brought a flood of Jewish immigrants from former Soviet countries which swelled the population so much that there is now a shortage of rabbis.

Before the war there were some 600,000 Jews living in Germany - a community that was devastated by the Nazis.

Hundreds of synagogues across the country were destroyed, many during the November 9-10 1938 pogrom known as Kristallnacht. The East Berlin temple was also set on fire that night but neighbors extinguished it to protect nearby homes.

To protect against a new far-right threat, police blockaded neighboring streets and guests were screened with metal detectors at Friday's event.

Far-right violence last year reached its highest level in Germany since reunification in 1990.

"It's a miracle that we Jews are back in Berlin," said Rabbi Chaim Rozwaski at the opening ceremony. "The new synagogue symbolizes our dreams for the future".