BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Germany's biggest synagogue

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Friday, 31 August 2007, 17:42 GMT 18:42 UK

In pictures: Germany's biggest synagogue

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Germany's biggest synagogue, on Rykestrasse in Berlin, has reopened after a lavish restoration.

Synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

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The synagogue was set ablaze on Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938.

Rabbis carrying a Torah scroll

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Friday's inauguration saw rabbis bringing the Torah to the synagogue, in a ceremony witnessed by political leaders and Holocaust survivors from around the world.

Synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

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The synagogue, with a 1,200-person capacity, has been described as one of the jewels of Germany's Jewish community.

Rabbis at synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

Rabbis at synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

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Rabbi Chaim Roswaski, who presided at the ceremony, described the reconstruction as "a miracle".

Plaque on synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

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Restoration of the neo-classical building, which is more than 100 years old, cost more than 4.5m euros ($6m, £3m).

Synagogue on Rykestrasse, Berlin

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The re-opening comes at the start of a Jewish Culture Festival in the capital.

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