Synagogue Destroyed by Iranian Missile Reopens

The synagogue was destroyed during the height of the war with Iran when an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into a residential area.

By United with Israel Staff

A synagogue in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile was rededicated last week in an emotional ceremony, just 48 hours before Rosh Hashana.

The Tiferet Yisrael synagogue was rebuilt following an accelerated construction effort that allowed worshippers to return to the site in time for the Jewish New Year.

The synagogue was destroyed during the height of the war with Iran when an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into a residential area of Beit Shemesh. Nine people were killed in the direct strike, which caused extensive destruction in the surrounding area.

Among those killed was Gabriel Baruch Revach, whose father, Zion Revach, serves as the synagogue’s gabbai.

Last week, Revach was given the emotional honor of affixing a mezuzah to the entrance of the rebuilt synagogue during a ceremony attended by bereaved families, congregants and municipal officials, including Beit Shemesh Mayor Shmuel Greenberg. An afternoon prayer service was then held inside.

“This is a day of celebration. We have restored the synagogue to its glory, a synagogue that stood here for 70 years,” Revach said.

He praised Greenberg for throwing his support behind the reconstruction and helping ensure the project was completed quickly.

“It moves me deeply, and this is our revival from the terrible disaster that claimed the life of my son Gabriel,” Revach said.

בית הכנסת “תפארת ישראל” בעיר בית שמש, שנהרס כליל באסון פגיעת הטיל האיראני בו נהרגו 9 מתושבי העיר, נחנך מחדש היום – 48 שעות לפני ראש השנה:

במעמד השתתפו ראש העיר, נציגי העירייה, בני משפחות שכולות וגבאי בית הכנסת. המזוזה נקבעה על ידי ציון רווח, אביו של גבריאל ז”ל, שנהרג באסון. https://t.co/cHjSnUEVee

— בית שמש חדשות (@shemeshnews) September 9, 2026

The ceremony marked a powerful moment of closure for a community returning to a site devastated during the Iranian missile attacks only months earlier.

Completed just before Rosh Hashana, the rebuilt synagogue allowed its congregation to enter the Jewish New Year back in its longtime home, transforming a site of destruction into a symbol of rebuilding and resilience.