In the half-century following the Nazi occupation of Crete and the consequent abandonment of Etz Hayim, the synagogue suffered from passive neglect and natural disasters. In 1994, WMF held a seminar in NY on Jewish Heritage. At that seminar, a scholar on Jewish Heritage in Greece presented a paper on Etz Hayim. (...)
In the half-century following the Nazi occupation of Crete and the consequent abandonment of Etz Hayim, the synagogue suffered from passive neglect and natural disasters. In 1994, WMF held a seminar in NY on Jewish Heritage. At that seminar, a scholar on Jewish Heritage in Greece presented a paper on Etz Hayim. After Watch listing in 1995, WMF provided significant support to undertake a conservation project on the site, especially because of destabilization from earthquakes in 1992 and 1995. Because of the interests of one of the funders and several people involved in the project, the idea was to restore the synagogue so that it could become a functioning place of worship as well as tell the story of Jewish heritage in Crete, explain the significance of the site, and also serve as a center of worship for those who might visit. A library and community center were also created.
In 1998. WMF efforts included rebuilding the roofs and walls to protect against structural fragility, water damage, and future earthquakes. The synagogue’s tympanum and oculus were taken down and repaired, and dilapidated sections of the building were reassembled from fragmentary stone pieces. WMF also conserved the courtyard mosaics and interior pavement, cleaned and reassembled the building’s heavy chestnut doors, installed heating and air conditioning outlets, and re-plastered the mikveh. In 2009, conservationists completed work on the ezrat nashim, or women’s galleries.
