Cologne Reflections: Should Governments Pay for Synagogue Fixing?? NO!

There was this woman that NYU Berlin had hired to give us a tour of Jewish Berlin. I mention her in my last blog too if you want a more completely story, but she had mentioned how the stained glass in the major Cologne synagogue was vandalized recently and how the city of Cologne would not pay for it. I was especially surprised to see how mad she had gotten when saying that the city government and tax payers money should not pay for it. Granted governments all over Europe have funded a lot of reconstruction of their city, but as far as I can see, it was never really favoritism of religion, though it may seem that way in retrospect. Also, it was often after sometime disastrous...like war...The grand Dom (cathedral) of Cologne stood as a major symbol of the city--after all, it towered over everything in its beauty. To many, it was just something they saw on the way to work, not necessarily where they pray. To others, it is a major tourist attraction that draws people into the city, to stimulate its economy. Yes, you could argue that all the way back even when the cathedral was built, the "Evil" Christians were still persecuting the Jews, but really...this just goes back to whether or not people can try to move on, or if they still need to keep repenting. What the cathedral is NOW is a symbol of the city, and that is why it deserves funding. The synagogue of Cologne is completely isolated from the community. It is not something easily accessed by the public. Its architecture is not completely remarkable. Its beauty, if you ask me at least, is extremely limited compared to important buildings of the rest of the world. At this point, this woman just really confused me.