Hungary's Oldest Shul Reopens

Ynet News

T

housands of Hungarian Jews
participated last month in a
ceremonial reopening of the
country's oldest synagogue, which was
previously expropriated from the Jewish
community
The structure has undergone massive
renovations in recent months, estimated
to have cost more than $500,000. Israel's
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Hungarian
Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen were
in attendance.
As part of the ceremonial preparations,
police closed off all streets bordering the
synagogue due to concerns of anti-Semit-
ic-related attacks. Dozens of policeman
surrounded the synagogue square, where
an orchestra played Jewish melodies.
Following the brief opening greetings

and ribbon-cutting ceremony, a chup-
pah (Jewish wedding canopy) was placed
inside the synagogue, under which the pri-
mary donor Gabor Futo carried in the first
Torah scroll, completed earlier that day.
Rabbi Metzger then delivered a speech,
saying that "this synagogue is located in
this part of the city because 200 hundred
years ago, the local government prohib-
ited Jews from residing in other parts of
the city; and we are now witness to the
government's unreserved support of the
Jewish community. This is the closing of
an important circle'
Hungary's deputy PM said in his
speech, "a house of prayer, whatever
religion, is the connection between man
and God. Every person has a natural need
to connect with the creator and when
his house of prayer is taken away so is
his ability to have this connection. The

reopening of this synagogue
is, therefore, a joyful occa-
sion, not just for the Jews,
but for every human being."
Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg,
deputy director of the
Rabbinical Centre of Europe,
related to the timing of the
opening ceremony: "We will
all stand and pray during
the Jewish New Year, not just
for ourselves and not just
for the Jewish people, but for
all humanity, including the
Hungarian government and Rabbi Metzger and Gabor Futo carry new Torah.
people."
One of the most emo-
during World War II (when it was still
tional moments at the opening ceremony
was when a resident of Budapest and
active), lit candles commemorating those
Holocaust survivor, who lived in an
who prayed there but did not live to see
orphanage adjacent to the synagogue
its restoration.

Obituaries on page 78

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Obituaries

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October 14 2010

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