Learning about Judaism in the Great Synagogue.

Inside of the Great Synagogue: looks like a church!

I’ve never really understood the point of view of the Jewish people.  It’s not that I can’t relate to it, but more that I have never known enough about Judaism to really tie the story of their religion and persecution together.  So today, when JSBP went to the Budapest synagogue and Jewish museum, I had a great time and learned a lot. 

To begin our day, we walked into the most beautiful synagogue; I was so surprised by the beautiful décor of the place.  It is the biggest synagogue in Europe and the fifth largest in the world.  It looked a lot like a church, which was odd until our tour guide explained that it was modeled this way so that the Christian majority in Hungary would see the Jewish efforts to assimilate into the Hungarian culture.  The architect used atypical designs and even included an organ into the synagogue.  My favorite piece in the synagogue was a golden sun on the altar that had the Hebrew version of the most sacred name for God.  They don’t ever pronounce this word, only referring to it as “The Name,” because it is so sanctified that they don’t want to dishonor “The Name” by mispronouncing it in any way!  I was so blown away by this, and was impressed at their deep respect for their religion.  In the synagogue, I could not stop thinking about how respectful and rooted in tradition Judaism still is: men wear yarmulkes and women have their heads covered as a sign of respect, the synagogue has hired an organist to play the organ on Saturdays because the Sabbath prohibits observing members from doing work, etc.  I find it beautiful that people still maintain these traditions and customs for so many centuries, especially after the persecution they’ve experienced..

The Tree of Life, beautiful memorial.

We left the synagogue, and walked outside to the Heroes Garden Cemetery, which is located in an unusual place because it is right next to the synagogue, a place for the living, not the dead.  However, the Holocaust brought unusual circumstances for the Jewish (euphemism noted), and 2,300 Jews were killed there, and this grave is a common grave for their bodies.  It was the most that they could do at the time, and I think it’s meaningful to have it there.  I think it functions as a constant reminder to the community and tourists alike, so that we cannot be condemned for forgetting history.  

Raoul Wallenberg: a hero to honor.

We also saw a beautiful memorial, known as the Tree of Life and the Weeping Willow, dedicated to people who never returned home after the Holocaust.  Also in this garden area were memorials to Hungarian Jewish families who offered shelter to fugitive Jews, and more memorials to non-Jewish gentiles who extended this protection in their homes as well.  Most significantly was the memorial to Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved over 100,000 Jewish people in Budapest by any means necessary.  His memorial was encompassed by thousands of stones—tokens of gratitude for his bravery and heroic action.  It was definitely moving to see, and learn about in Budapest, where so many people died.  It’s surreal to stand in the very places you see in pictures, pictures from not so long ago.

Pictures of Jews from a
1944 Hungarian newspaper

A memorial that I visited on
the edge of the Danube river.
About 10-15 thousand Jews were killed
at the end of WWII in an especially
cruel manner: forced to strip and take
off their shoes, two people would be tied
together, and one would be shot,
but they would both fall into the river,
the dead weight of one person drowned
the other.

Finally, we went on a tour of the Jewish museum, in which our tour guide taught us about Jewish symbols, Jewish holidays, daily life, and the Holocaust experience.  We saw some beautiful and old Jewish artifacts and torahs, and got more insight into Judaism. I couldn’t stop thinking during the first part of the tour about how much I was learning, despite having grown up with Jewish friends, classmates, and neighbors for my entire life.  We know about the Holocaust, but we don’t know about the religion that was targeted…I guess I never realized the irony in that. 

These realizations were great for me.  This is what I came abroad for.  To be exposed to new experience and ideas.  This was one of the better JSBP trips, and I recommend a visit to the Great Synagogue for any future travelers to Budapest. 

Click here to learn more about the "Jewish Ghosts of Budapest," a great article from which I took this quote:

“The deportation of Hungarian Jews was the fastest and most extensive—437,402 Jews from Hungary deported within 56 days—and one-tenth of the Holocaust’s Jewish victims were Hungarian.”

Hope everyone out there in cyberspace had a great Thanksgiving, and took the time to think about what they have to appreciate.

Live and Learn.