In the Lebanese city of Sidon, once home to a vibrant Jewish presence, at least one synagogue, built in 1850, still stands in the former Jewish quarter, and legally belongs to the community. But its last congregants departed in 1982. Currently, a Syrian family lives in the men’s section and a Palestinian family in the women’s section. Rana Moussaoui writes:
On the walls, Hebrew renderings of the Book of Genesis and Jewish laws have been daubed over with red paint. But while little remains of the synagogue’s former life, its past has not been forgotten. “I’ve received visitors from Canada, France, and Brazil who showed me photos of their [Jewish-Lebanese] ancestors from Sidon,” said Muhammad, [one of the current residents].
In 2012, two rabbis from Neturei Karta—a sect of anti-Zionist Jews who believe that the state of Israel should not exist—prayed in the synagogue, much to the surprise of its residents. It was the first prayer held in the building for 40 years, and came as part of a tour that also included a visit to the nearby tomb of Zebulun, one of the sons of the biblical patriarch Jacob.
Nagi Gergi Zeidan, a specialist on the Jews of Lebanon, says the synagogue once housed 50 Torah scrolls dating to the Roman era, which were [rescued] by Israelis during their 1982 invasion.
Read more on Times of Israel: http://www.timesofisrael.com/old-lebanese-synagogue-now-a-home-for-destitute/