Page 60 - Satan in the Sanctuary

62 Satan in the Sanctuary

The presence of such varied representation of the state and
the Jewish people certainly shows the uniformity of the desire
for a major Jerusalem house of worship—the first in over
nineteen hundred years. And the speed with which the project
was undertaken, just two years after the war, rather shows
the eagerness of the faithful.
WHY A "GREAT SYNAGOGUE"?
The purposes and nature of the Great Synagogue are ex-
plained by the same official brochure. The project is mainly
to fill a glaring deficiency.
The Jerusalem Great Synagogue is to be unique among
the synagogues of the world, in its setting, its sanctity, and
its magnificence. It is intended to be as beautiful as its sacred
purposes deserve, and truly, it will be one of the most im-
portant Jewish structures in the world.
The sponsors of the project deplore the fact that in Jeru-
salem, the holiest of all cities and the capital of the State of
Israel, there stands no large, representative synagogue. The
Gentile capitals of the world enjoy what Jerusalem lacks,
and the Great Synagogue will repair this deficiency. It goes
without saying that the synagogue is needed in Jerusalem.
King Solomon himself would be impressed with the care
and effort to be expended on making this synagogue a monu-
mental masterpiece of design and construction. Its interior
decoration will leave worshipers weak with admiration, if
the directors of the project have their way. A wonder of the
modern world is under construction in Israel. The synagogue
is being planned to surpass in beauty all of its forerunners
and contemporaries, and to become the central shrine of
Judaism and the world.
It takes a lot of help and a lot of work. The directors have
appealed to Jews and interested non-Jews throughout the