It was a unique occasion. The small yeshiva where 800 years ago
Moses Maimonides, the Rambam, taught his disciples had been
restored to its pristine state; the synagogue later built on the
site, which had fallen into disrepair and had been badly damaged
by an earthquake, was once again ready to welcome worshipers.
Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny, who had pledged two
years ago to renovate three synagogues, had been true to his
word. Specialists from the Department of Antiquities had worked
long and hard to uncover and duplicate the site’s original
colors. The total cost of the project had reached $2 million and
the result was spectacular. All was in place for an impressive
ceremony that would have shown the world that Jews and Muslims
could rejoice in harmony over a site dedicated to a man held in
veneration by both. Maimonides had been the personal physician
to Saladin, and for centuries Jews, Muslims and Copts had come
to his yeshiva in search of healing. As work was nearing
completion, it was agre