Renovation work on the Choral Synagogue in Tomsk, one of the oldest synagogues in Siberia, is well underway with hopes of the project being finished as early as September 2010. According to Chief Rabbi of Tomsk Levi Kaminetsky, who is also a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary serving in the region, about 20 million rubles (roughly $681,000 US) are still needed in order to complete the work. The overall cost of this renovation project is nearly 68 million rubles.
Once completed, the building will be a full Jewish community center, complete with classrooms, libraries and children's play rooms, as well as a mikvah. In the basement, there will be a kosher kitchen and cafe.
Most of the funds that have been raised for this major renovation project were contributed by Jews of Tomsk. The list of contributors is displayed at the entrance to the synagogue.
The reconstruction project began in 1999 but stopped before completion in 2004 due to lack of funding. In March 2009, renovations began anew, based on a design prepared by the Design Institute of Tomsk.
The Choral Synagogue dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and was built at that time with contributions made by local Jews. In 1929, the synagogue was closed by state authorities and the building subsequently housed a cinema. In 1999, the building was returned to the Jewish community, at which time the first work on reinforcing and reconstructing the building was carried out.