The Amazing Jewish Synagogue

Amazing and Beautiful Jewish Synagogue

So the field excursions are winding down in number as the weeks go on and as Ildiko put it, this Wednesday was our penultimate one. For those of you like me who have the vocabulary of a 5 year old, what this means is that this Wednesday was our 2^nd to last field experience until we go home which also means that I have less than three weeks left in this amazing city!! Bittersweet to say the least, so I’m enjoying the limited amount of time I have left to the fullest. This enjoyment included this week’s trip to Budapest Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum associated with it.   

 

Church-like feel when you enter the Synagogue

When I walked into the Synagogue my first thought was that this was not the place we were supposed to be and that we had gone to a church instead. The gigantic Star of David reassured me we were actually in the right place but the feeling that I was inside a church was still there. There were the typical 3 aisles and high ceilings and it just had a very church-like feeling. Our tour guide later explained that this was because when the Synagogue was built in the late 19^th century the Jewish population wanted to respect the majority religion which was Christian. To do this they allowed a Christian architect to design the Synagogue and the result was this church-like building. Never the less the Synagogue was beautiful with rich detail and beautiful decorations.

 

Tree memorializing those who died and were never found during WWII

After we got some insight about the history of the Synagogue we went outside and saw this tree that was made out of metal. On some of the “leaves” were names and we later learned that these names where Jewish people who disappeared during WWII who were never found by their families. Because they were never found and could not properly be buried this tree was constructed in their honor. I thought this was a great idea because it is such a beautiful structure and it is a way of “burying” loved ones when they are unable to be found after death. Along these lines we also saw a cemetery next to the Synagogue, which was explained to us as being a very rare thing. This is because in the Jewish religion cemeteries are not supposed to be built next to synagogues but during World War II this Synagogue was in the area of the Jewish Ghetto in Budapest. When the ghetto closed there were over 2,000 dead people who needed burial so the people of Budapest chose to bury them in a cemetery next to the Synagogue. The Synagogue carries with it a lot of faith and religion but it also carries with it memories of loss and suffering and I admire to Jewish faith for moving while still paying due respect to those who have passed.

 

Sacred Scroll in the Museum 

The Jewish Museum located next to the Synagogue was where we went next. The museum was fascinating and we saw old artifacts from around the world that had been sent all the way here to Budapest. Old scrolls, menorahs, symbols of religious holidays and paintings were all available for viewing. The last room in the museum was the Holocaust memorial room where we saw pictures of the ghettos, people in concentration camps, dead bodies and a bar of soap that was made out of human fat. Since being in Europe I have had so much exposure to the atrocities of World War II and it honestly never gets easier to hear or learn about. Each picture you see or story you here shows a new story of suffering peoples who did not in any way deserve what they were put through. The Jewish Museum and Synagogue gave a great depiction of Jewish life, the religion itself, the culture, the history and the suffering and I thought it was an amazing experience.