The project took 20 years and cost more than $20 million. "What's so interesting about this restoration is that we didn't want to make it look brand new. We really wanted the building to tell its stories. We've even left one area unrestored. That's because we want people to know the whole story of the building," Ms. Milford said.

Milford says the renovation marks a new chapter in the synagogue and the history of Jews in New York. She says the synagogue will function as a museum and a learning center, but she adds that its orthodox congregation will continue to gather in the structure, as it has for nearly a century.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-29-voa1.cfm