Jewish Heritage Walking Tour

Transcription

1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Jewish Heritage Walking Tour Over the centuries, the Jews of Budapest were many times expelled from the city and had to rebuild their homes and lives after it. Therefore, it is amazing to see how much they have re-created and many of it is still preserved even after the WWII and the communist regime. This tour covers some of the most important sites that provide an insight into the history and culture of the Jewish population in the city. Guide Location: Hungary» Budapest # of Attractions: 6 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.0 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Budapest. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Orthodox Synagogue B) Rumbach utca Synagogue C) Tree of Life in the Raoul Wallenberg Park D) The Great Synagogue E) Rabbinical Seminary F) Holocaust Museum Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

2 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 2 - Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 2 -

3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - A) Orthodox Synagogue The Orthodox Synagogue is the physical and spiritual center of Jewish life in the 8th District. It is located at Kazinczy utca at Dob, Budapest, nestled in a quaint little community that has a kosher eating establishment, a school, and a prayer room. Nearby there is also a mikvah, which is the only one to be found anywhere in Budapest. The structure was built in The Hungarian Orthodox Jews, which make this house of worship their home, are a rather unique off shoot of Conservative Judaism. They maintain many of the practices of the Jewish immigrants of Germany and Moravia. There is also a strong Hassidic background in these people, which came to the area from Poland and Galatia. Many of the people who attend synagogue here are either the survivors of WWII or their descendants. Despite deportation by the Nazis, many of the original Hungarian settlers of Kazinczy were able to come home by The easiest way to get to the Synagogue is by subway. You will make use of the M1, M2, or M3 line to Deak ter Station. You can then take M2 to Astoria Station, and then walk to Karoly korut in the direction of Deak ter. Once there, make a right at Dob utca. Address: Kazinczy utca 29-31, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Flickr and stephaniecomfort B) Rumbach utca Synagogue Located in the old historic district of the town of Pest is the Rumbach Street Synagogue. The inner section of the city is called Belvaros. The spiritual home of the local Hungarian Jews was built in 1872, designed by Viennese architect Otto Wagner. It is a classic example of Moorish rival styling. The synagogue is octagonal, and has a beautiful balcony. The walls are painted and decorated in Islamic patterns and paint colors; the roof is domed. One might find similarities between this building and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The outside of this very old structure is also much decorated. It is adorned in like fashion to the brickwork that can be found on the synagogue at Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - Dohany utca. The vertical striping is very remarkable. You also need to take note of the two minaret octagonal turrets that tower high into the air. The cream, green, and deep red colors façade, along with the oriental style arches, make the perfect backdrop to the windows that contain the Star of David. Sadly, the schul (another name for the synagogue) is not being used any more for religious services. The building is in bad need of repair. Once the reconstruction is finished, though, it is due to be reopened. Address: Rumbach Sebestyén utca 11-13, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Flickr and allap C) Tree of Life in the Raoul Wallenberg Park (must see) Raoul Wallenberg Park is a place of commemoration for the people who risked their lives to help keep the Jewish population of Budapest safe during the days of exportation in WWII. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat at the time, and was one of the principle leaders in the movement to protect the Hungarian Jews. If this group had been caught, they would have been executed. The famous Tree of Life memorial is a commemorative sculpture that has its home in the center of the park. It was designed to pay tribute to the 5,000 Holocaust victims that are buried in the area. It is made into the shape of a willow tree, which in traditional Hungarian Jewish thinking, is a symbol of mourning. It can also represent an overturned menorah. There is also a synagogue here, with some rather famous copies of torahs housed in their ark. The park was started in the 1990s after the country of Hungary was returned to a democratic state. A large donation from the world famous Estee Lauder (approximately $5 million U.S.) made the whole memorial possible. The completion of the memorial occurred in Address: Bérkocsis St 1-5, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Flickr and zoonabar Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - D) The Great Synagogue (must see) This famous historical spot is also referred to as the Dohany Synagogue. It is the largest of the Jewish houses of worship located in Budapest. The building was erected from 1854 to It was designed by the famous Viennese designer and architect Ludwig Forster. The overall design is Moorish. It has two traditional tall towers that make the location viewable all over the city. You can also see the influence of Gothic, Romantic, and Byzantine art throughout this beautiful location. The Great Synagogue is 174 feet long and approximately 90 feet wide. It can hold a little over 2900 people, split evenly between the women s area and the men s area. It is the second largest building of its kind in the world. Only the Temple Emanu-El in New York City is larger. The two towers that help to make the location distinct rise an impressive 143 feet into the air. You will also want to check out the Jewish Heroes Mausoleum that is next door. The cemetery and gardens contain monuments to Jews who died during the Holocaust, as well as the bodies of non Jewish people who helped to protect the lives of so many people. Address: Donhany Utca 2, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and OsvatA E) Rabbinical Seminary Rabbinical Seminary was founded in the very beginning of the 20th century. The seminary has a vast library giving the visitor access to over highly valued works of Jewish literature. The rabbinical Seminary is one of the few that were operating during the regime of the communists. Address: Bérkocsis St 1-5, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Cesarzambrano1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - F) Holocaust Museum (must see) The Holocaust Museum was opened to the public in February of The mission of this place is to present and preserve a permanent history of the Holocaust, and the role that the Hungarian people played during this part of World War II history. During this time, over 500,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis. There were also 50,000 Roma who were executed during the oppression. The site used to be a synagogue. As plans were being made to build the museum, a decision was made to include the temple in the museum. So, it was renovated as well. One of the things you will note about the displays is the very personal touch that has been used. There are accounts of real people here. In the first exhibit, called the Wedding Room, you will be taken back in time to how life was prior to the start of the war. You will then be taken to the Synagogue display, which has glass pews that contain pictures of lost houses of prayer, and murdered individuals. You will finally be brought to the place where the museum commemorates the citizens of Hungary, and the foreign diplomats, who risked their lives to help the Jews. It is located at Pava u. 39 Budapest 1094 Hungary. The cost to the public to visit the museum is free. It is open from 10am until 6pm every day of the week except Monday. Address: 39 Páva St, Budapest, Hungary Image Courtesy of Flickr and tutuka Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -