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World Jewish News
Demolition of the Jewish Quarter of Baku Suspended
19.02.2009
The demolition of private residential buildings and the Central Synagogue of Mountain Jews in Azerbaijan has been suspended again. The area is part of a zone of reconstruction work carried out in the center of the Republic's capital.
However, as reported by the Jewish News Agency, the leaders of the religious community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan said that Baku Jews are still anxious about the future of Jewish house of worship, while the suspension of the demolition of the historic Jewish quarters is likely to be temporary.
"The problem is that on the opposite side of the Shamsi Badalbeyli street, where our synagogue is situated, there is a building of the Russian Information and Culture Center (ICC).
In the first decade of March, the official opening of the Russian ICC is to be held in Baku, attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov.
Given that the building of the Russian ICC, located at the intersection of Shamsi Badalbeyli and Rasul Rza streets, is approximately 20 meters away from the entrance to our synagogue and in the 50 meters from the entrance to the synagogue of Ashkenazi Jews, the suspension of the demolition of the historic Jewish quarter by the mayor’s office is quite logical," the Jewish community administration told the Jewish News Agency.
Indeed, demonstrating the ruins of the historic Jewish quarter to the Head of the MFA of Russia on the day of solemn opening of the Russian ICC in Baku would be unreasonable.
It would be more politically correct to suspend the demolition on Shamsi Badalbeyli street, to open the Russian ICC, which is not part of the reconstruction zone, and after the departure of high-ranking guests from Baku to continue the demolition of the historic Jewish quarter of the capital of Azerbaijan.
It should be clarified that the central synagogue of Ashkenazi Jews in Azerbaijan does not fall into the area of dismantling works in the center of Baku.
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