‘Glory and disaster’ intertwine in Budapest’s historic Jewish quarter

The first known Jewish presence in Hungary is dated back to the 12th century, and the first expulsion of Jews happened in 1307. From then until the 1944 transportation and murder of some 600,000 Jews, the city saw it all. As Dr. Peter Feldmajer, President of the Hungarian Jewish Community, told the World Jewish Congress this week: “Budapest is a city that has preserved the glorious history of Jews, as well as their disasters.”

The city’s Jewish timeline includes the births of Max Nordau (1849) and Theodor Herzl (1860); it holds Adolf Eichmann’s headquarters, from where he deported Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz (1944); and it boasts the Dohany Synagogue (built 1859) — the largest in Europe and one of the biggest in the world.

The WJC’s get-together was hosted in Budapest between Sunday and Thursday, as an act of solidarity with the local community as it combats anti-Semitism in the streets and in parliament. In addition to addresses given by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the congress allowed for a glimpse into the life of thousands of Jews residing in the city.

A short walk in the streets of the Jewish area, also known as District VII, takes one on a journey where the beauty and horror of past events intertwine, and where the current general calm is monitored by security cameras and policemen — a reminder that Jewish life today in this historically resonant city, while flourishing, isn’t perfect.

The magnificent synagogues that were

While the Kazinczy Street Orthodox Synagogue and Great Central Synagogue in Dohány Street host services on Shabbat and high holidays, during most of the year they stand empty — monuments displaying the treasured beauty of yore. Others, like the one on Rumbach street, are waiting to be renovated.

Religious life nowadays

The modern Jewish community is made up of Orthodox, traditional, and non-observant Jews. On Kazinczy Street stand a number of ultra-Orthodox institutions, dwarfed by the shadows of the old synagogue next door.

Memory and commemoration

Plaques and monuments can be found all over district XII. From city-sponsored signs marking the house in which Herzl was born to a remnant of the Ghetto wall, the streets and squares echo with memories.

Jewish life on the street

The storefronts and names of many business in this Jewish corner prove that the community’s life in the city isn’t confined to prayer and Torah studies. A travel agency, community culture center, wine store and more offer services to Jews — the locals and the thousands of tourists who arrive every year.