Berlin Synagogue Reopens

Germany’s largest synagogue has re-opened its doors after a major restoration, welcoming political leaders and Holocaust survivors to its unveiling. Built over 100 years ago, the Berlin temple was burned on Kristallnacht but the structure survived Nazism, Communism and decades of neglect. Architects re-created the original appearance with the use of just three historical photographs, the BBC reports.

A 94-year-old rabbi who preached in the synagogue in the 1930s was in attendance, calling the restoration a “miracle.” Germany has seen an influx of Russian Jews and a re-birth of Jewish culture; the former world capital of anti-Semitism now hosts one of the world's fastest-growing Jewish populations. (More Germany stories.)