Save the Tower: Urgent Work on the Left Tower of the Synagogue of Florence

HELP US: The Tower of the Synagogue is structurally unsound. 

HELP US: To raise 88,000 euros 

Urgent work needed on the left tower of the synagogue of Florence – The Great Synagogue, built in 1882, is of enormous importance to city of Florence and to Florentines of every faith. It is known forits architectural value and also represents one of the most important monuments in marking the passage of Jewish emancipation in Italy. It represents one of the greatest examples of Moorish architecture in Italy and the turquoise dome has assumed a harmonious and prominent role in the skyline of our magnificent city, which is listed by UNESCO among the 58 World Heritage Sites in Italy.

A few days ago while carrying out ordinary restoration work on the facade of the Temple, a group of specialized workers found breakage at the base of one of the pillars, which is starting to extend outward toward the adjacent column. We urgently need to repair the damage as soon as possible to avoid any further structural problems.

The Jewish Community of Florence, together with Opera del Tempio, a foundation dedicated to the restauration of Jewish monuments in Tuscany, has launched a fundraising campaign to raise 88,000 euros to cover the cost of consolidation of the Tower.

Our fundraising goal for individuals is 17,600 euros. National and international institutions and foundations should contribute the rest. Any amount that you can give to save this historical synagogue will help.

We kindly ask donors who want to contribute amounts over 5,000 euros to contact the fundraising group of the Jewish Community of Florence so that we can arrange for a nameplate to be installed inside the Jewish Community to commemorate this generous support.

Even if you can’t make a donation you can help us by sharing our project with your friends and family members, especially on social networks: this small gesture will help us spread the word about the project, reaching many more people thanks to you.

Every single contribution counts: the sum of each and every donation will allow us to reach our goal and carry out the urgent work needed to fix the Temple.

Save the Towner Fundraising Update:

One month after launching our fundraiser we are proud to announce that we have raised €11,658 in donations from private donors (of which €5,783 via GoFundMe and €5,875 via our website). We are just over the halfway point in reaching our goal of funding 20% of the total cost of the project through private donations from all over the world. The amount needed to consoliate the tower is just over 80,000 euro. We have already received important contributions from the bank foundaition Fondazione CR Firenze and from the company that manages our Jewish museums, Opera Laboratori. Please support Opera del Tempio Ebraico di Firenze, a foundation which has been dedicated to restoring Jewish heritage sites in Florence, Siena and Monte San Savino for over 25 years.

Below is an article published in the European Journal of Jewish Heritage Europe about our project:

https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2023/04/16/italy-structural-threat-to-florence/

Thank you for your support! 

Thank you for donating to help keep this precious place of art and worship alive for the city of Florence.

– Jewish Community of Florence