Zsinagoga or Great Synagogue

Lisa was attending a series of lectures at the ELTE campus in Pest. ELTE, like many Universities, has multiple facilities throughout the city as well as Partner Universities throughout Europe. This particular building was about 8 blocks from the flat and near the old Jewish section of the city. My student Viktoria also has offices in this building so we had scheduled a tutoring session. After the lectures and tutoring session we walked toward the Great Synagogue and great it is.

It was built in the 1850's but many of it's most unique features come from is design by a Catholic Architect. There are Stars of David everywhere; floors, ceilings, stained glass, but if they were removed it could easily be called the Great Cathedral. It is also important to note that in the 1850's the reformed Jews wanted to feel more integrated into the community.

This area of Budapest was a nasty place during WWII, the streets are narrow and were easily walled off by the Nazi's making it a prison. Many died but there was no access to cemeteries until after the liberation in 1945 when mass graves were created in the gardens of the Great Synagogue.

Since then family members have placed markers around the mass grave sites.

The "Tree of Life" sculpture dominates the garden behind the synagogue. It really is spectacular and no one photo can express it's power, even the curt tour guide's voice broke a bit when she explained the symbolism of the leaves with victims names and the willow tree forming an upside-down menorah.

An interesting point...Tony Curtis was, and Jamie Lee continues to be, a major supporter of the reconstruction of the synagogue and the creation of the "Tree of Life." He was born Bernard Schwartz to Hungarian-Jewish parents.

Security was tight, I had to check my pocket knife, I always have to check my pocket knife.

After the tour we wandered back thru the Jewish Quarter. There is some new construction going on but still a bit seedy. There was no development there until after the communist influence subsided. There are some new shops and restaurants and generally a lively place.

We looked into a doorway that said 1200 to 1500 Menu. This is Hungarian for "we serve lunch." We had a nice cheese plate and duck liver pate with beet root jam, plus a couple of glasses of wine. Our main meal for the day. The restaurant building had been there for over 200 years, beautiful brickwork, see pic.

And so it goes, life in Budapest. We have been invited to the country on Sunday to have a garden lunch with Viktoria and her husband Thomas. They live near Szentendre on the Danube Bend. Thomas is making his special venison stew.

More later