Recent events testify to the central place of the synagogue in Jewish life , now and throughout the history of the Jewish people . It is distressing to see that synagogues are still attacked as symbols of Judaism and the Jewish people , even in the State of Israel . We have born sad witness to the destruction of the synagogues of Gush Qatif in the summer of 2005 , the final symbolic act erasing the Jewish presence from the area . Much of the political turmoil surrounding the last days of the Gush was centered on the ultimate destiny of those synagogues . Unfortunately , we find no evidence that the synagogues were properly documented , a procedure that would have preserved their legacy and the legacy of the Jews who built them . I hope that they were documented , but in any case this emphasizes the need for a central institution that will collect documentation and relevant materials about synagogues past and present . Although there are already a number of organizations working in this...
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