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“Thanks to the restoration work, the Portuguese Synagogue is now much better suited to public viewing, while maintaining its original character. Its great treasure, the library, is now accessible to the public for the first time, allowing visitors to understand and experience this enormous cultural heritage. The Synagogue is still used as a place of worship, retaining the spirit of the building and respecting the needs of the congregants. The jury is very much impressed by the modest restoration of the large hall, avoiding its adaptation to the twentieth century amenities but rather keeping it as it has been throughout the centuries: candle lit and without heating.”