Oldest synagogue of Hungary reopened
Monday, September 13, 2010
The European Jewish Press    

By Maureen Shamee

Appropriated by the former communist government and used as a studio for state-run TV in 1960, the 400-seat synagogue - the oldest in the country- stood for years as a reminder of the plunder and pillage of Jewish life in Hungary.

In his speech, the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister stressed the significance of the event, particularly to the Hungarian government.

Though communism formally ended in Hungary 20 years ago, he said, the reopening of the Obuda Synagogue to be used for Jewish life, was symbolic of the real end to communism.

"Every house of prayer, regardless of religion, represents the human being's connection with G-d," Zsolt Semjn said. "Everyone has a need to have a connection with his Creator, so taking away synagogue takes away the individual's freedom to have this bond."

"This is the moment-when the Torah is installed- that makes the building a synagogue, a sanctuary," Rabbi Shlomo Koves, Chabad's representative in Budapest and rabbi of the synagogue, said.

"It will be, and is already, the city's Chabad center," said Koves.
Built in 1820, it will continue to carry its original name, Kehal Adas Yehsurin, but now also, with the addition of Beit Knesset Chabad-Lubavitch.

At its height in 1940, Hungary's Jewish community counted about 800,000 Jews. Budapest had 125 synagogues. Most Jews were exterminated by the Nazis.

Around 50,000 Jews live today in Hungary.

slobodan prijevod

Preuzeta od prijašnjeg komunističkog režima i upotrebljena kao TV studio od 1960. godine, najstarija sinagoga u zemlji, sa 400 sjedišta, stajala je kao podsjetnik na pljačku i otimačinu u židovskom životu u Mađarskoj.

U svom govoru, mađarski premijer je naglasio značenje tog događaja, osobito za mađarskiu vladu.

"Iako je komunizam, formalno završio u Mađarskoj prije 20 godina,  ponovno otvaranje Obuda sinagoge za upotrebu u židovskom životu, simbolični je i istiniti kraj komunizma. Svaka kuća molitve, bez obzira na religiju, predstavlja ljudsku vezu sa Bogom, rekao je Zsolt Semjn,

"Svi imaju potrebu da su u vezi sa svojim Stvoriteljem, te zbog toga uzimanje sinagoge znači  za neku osobu oduzimanje slobode da ostvari tu vezu.

Taj  moment, kada se Tora instalira-  je to što čini neku zgradu sinagogom, svetištem , rekao je rabi Schlomo Koves, predstavnik Chabada u Budimpešti i rabin te sinagoge. "To će biti , i već je, gradski Chabad centar", rekao je Koves.

Građena 1829, sinagoga će nastaviti nositi svoje originalno ime Kehal Adas Yehsurin, ali sada i dodatno ime Beit Knesset Chabad -Lubavitch.

Na svom vrhuncu, 1940 godine, mađarska židovska zajednica imala je oko 800.000 Židova. U Budimpešri je bilo 125 sinagoga. Većina Židova je ubijena od Nacista. Ima oko 50.000 Židova koji danas žive u Mađarskoj.