Today the gang and I visited the famous Jewish synagogue in Budapest. After walking by it many times on our way to watch the Patriots play at a nearby pub, it was about time we finally stepped in and saw what this building was all about. It is a massive brick building with a intricate designs of colors spread out on its walls, and it is a building that instantly catches the eye of anyone who walks by it. We arrived at the building right as it opened, and waited excitedly for the tour to begin. When the moment finally arrived the men in the group were told that they must put on hats or wear a yarmulke, for men were forbidden to go barehead into the holy place. I thought this was pretty cool and in direct contrast with the usual social norms regarding headwear and the indoors.
Sadly we were not able to wear a yarmulke on our visit!
Upon entering the building we were amazed to see how beautiful the synagogue was. Since arriving in Europe we have been lucky enough to see an array of all different types of amazing churches, and this was right on par with any we’ve seen so far. It was absolutely massive, we later learned it could seat over six thousand people! Our tour guide was a jovial young lad who explained to us the ins and outs of the synagogue. We learned that it is a traditional synagogue in the sense that only men are allowed to sit on the ground floor, while women must sit in the second and third levels. We also learned that the synagogue was designed to resemble a Christian church, in an attempt to better fit in with the Hungarian community.
The beautiful inside of the synagogue
When we exited the synagogue we were taken to the gravesites of many Jewish people who were killed during the atrocities of WWII/Halocaust. It was one of those moments that just sticks with you, there’s no real way to describe in words what you’re seeing. We were then taken to several memorials to the people who lost their lives and another for non-Jewish Hungarians who did the bravest deed of all and risked their own lives to help save some Jewish people. The entire memorial area was both beautiful and touching, and it I can’t imagine a nicer and more appropriate memorial for what it entails.
When we left the memorial site we were then taken to the local Jewish Museum, where we were given a tour of both Jewish heritage and tradition and also more interesting/gut-wrenching facts about the plight of the Jewish people during the twentieth century. It was a really cool place and there were tons of cool exhibits and information that kept everyone interested and involved. Overall it was an educational and enlightening day. It made us take a break from our daily lives and spare a thought for the innocent people who lost their lives in perhaps the most senseless thing that mankind has ever done. It is not an easy thing to think about or grasp, but we owe it to all the victims to continue to spread the word of these atrocities so they are never repeated again.
This is the memorial tree that stands outside the synagogue. It is a touching tribute to the many who lost their lives, and it was donated by famous actor Tony Curtis
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