During the excavation of the Synagogue site that preceded the beginning of its reconstruction, archaeologists uncovered relics from the Second Temple period, as well as burnt timbers from when the Romans sacked Jerusalem. The archeological finds indicated that the area served as housing for the Temple Priests during its Second Temple Period.

In 1948, the Synagogue served as a stronghold for the Hagana, as they attempted to defend Jerusalem from the Arab Legion. Tiferet Yisrael was the final Jewish holdout before the Arab Legion burned and destroyed the entire building and exiled the remaining Jews from the Old City through Zion Gate.

Only since 1967, has the Jewish Quarter been back in the hands of the Jewish people. The restoration of Tiferet Yisrael symbolizes the Zionist dream of world Jewry – a glorious return to our historic land and the restoration of the meeting place and visitor center that sums up our eternal sense of hope and the realization of Jewish national dreams.