The synagogue on Dohány Street, or colloquially: the Great Synagogue of Budapest, is the second largest synagogue in the world after the Emanuel Synagogue and the most monumental synagogue in Europe, alongside Amsterdam. This building – in the eyes of the entire country and the world – has become a symbol of the Hungarian-speaking Jewish community and Hungarian Jewish culture, and stands in the former Jewish quarter, where many Jews still live today, preserving traditions. It also plays an active role in the cultural life of the capital, as classical music concerts and various festivals are held here; organ concerts and cantor performances are often held within its walls.

One and a half centuries ago, a tender was announced for the construction of the synagogue, for which the most outstanding engineers of the time, such as József Hild, submitted their proposals in the style of classicism. Finally – for unknown reasons – Ludwig Förster (1797–1863), a German architect and professor at the Vienna Academy, won the competition with his project of a synagogue in the Moorish style. (Earlier, he also designed the Great Synagogue in Vienna.)

This German architect taught at the Vienna Academy. His work was defined by a love of eclecticism, but he also learned much from the Italian Renaissance. In Vienna, he designed the synagogue and several public buildings. In Hungary, he is also credited with designing the synagogue in Miskolc.

All construction was completed in just five years, which was a record time for those days. (This is approximately the duration of the reconstruction that began in 1991 and was mostly completed in 1996.) The architect who supervised the construction was Ignác Vécsey (1828–1903), who later bequeathed his entire fortune to the Jewish Institute for the Blind. In his absence, Förster even used the work of one of the competing Hungarian architects: thus, Frigyes Feszl, the famous architect of the Vigadó, designed the synagogue’s inner sanctuary. The synagogue was solemnly opened in 1859, on September 6. (It is no coincidence that in 2009 the synagogue’s birthday was celebrated on September 6.)

The synagogue on Dohány Street has recently been associated with many historical and religious monuments. Tivadar Herzl was born in 1860 in the neighboring corner building, since demolished (on its site the Jewish Museum was built), a writer, journalist, and dreamer of a Jewish state. His memorial plaque is located on the museum’s staircase. The small space formed by the demolition of the front row of arcades bears his name. All the joyful and sorrowful events of Hungarian history echoed within the synagogue’s walls.

Between 1929 and 1931, the surroundings of the synagogue were renovated. At that time, a modern Jewish museum was erected (officially known as the Jewish Religious-Historical Collection), a Heroes’ Temple with a dome, which preserves the memory of Jewish heroes of the First World War and functioned as the main prayer house of the moderately conservative Jewish stream of Pest for a long time after the closure of the synagogue on Rumbach Street. During the reconstruction of that time, a garden surrounded by a colonnade was also created, whose designers did not even suspect the sad role it would play in the life of Hungarian Jewry. At this time, in the atmosphere of growing fascism, a series of court trials began in the history of the synagogue.

In the spring of 1931, bullets from a suicide terrorist’s revolver took the lives of two worshippers; on February 3, 1939, a hand grenade was thrown from the roof of the house opposite at those leaving the service. Finally, in 1944, the Budapest Ghetto was created here: one of its gates was on the side of Wesselényi Street. About seventy thousand people, deprived of their property and rights and subjected to constant fear of death, accumulated in the ghetto quarters and in the synagogue itself. During the siege of Budapest, the synagogue was hit by 27 bombs and shells, traces of which were visible for many decades.

Many people died in the ghetto due to deprivation, hunger, cold, and killings. The dead were not allowed to be taken to the cemetery, so thousands of bodies lay by the synagogue walls for 40 days, and eventually a cemetery was created right in the synagogue courtyard, despite the Jewish custom that cemeteries are not located next to synagogues. It was here, mainly in mass graves, that the victims who died or perished from diseases and hunger were buried. Most of them were later exhumed at the request of relatives and buried in the Jewish cemeteries of Budapest.

However, many of them (about seven thousand) could not be identified, or their relatives did not survive: their remains still rest here today. In memory of the victims of the Holocaust, a metal weeping willow (author — Imre Varga) was erected in the memorial park at the synagogue, on the numerous leaves of which the names of the deceased Hungarian Jews are engraved.

In the nineteenth century, two old communities – Óbuda and Bratislava – played a leading role in the life of Hungarian Jews. However, in the 1800s, two generations were enough for Pest to take first place both in terms of demographic and existential status and culture.

The first records of Jews in Budapest relate to Saul of Pest, who settled in Székesfehérvár together with a brother of the same name in Buda, and here founded a community. We can find Jews in Pest even during the Turkish occupation, but starting from 1686, for about 100 years, there was no trace of them. Historiography justifies this by the fact that free royal cities feared commercial and industrial competition from Jews.

In the protocol of the Jewish census conducted in the city of Pest in 1727, it is stated: “...in fact, we do not tolerate even anyone staying overnight here, except in cases of extreme necessity or if they are summoned to the royal court.” The city was founded in the 18th century and until the last third of the 19th century refused to accept Jews. However, in 1783, on March 31, the imperial decree of Joseph II eliminated this prejudice, which was in effect ex officio. Now they were allowed to settle in free royal cities, with the exception of mining settlements. This is how Jews came to Pest, primarily to Terézváros and the city center. From the official census, we know that in 1787, 14 so-called “tolerated” and 114 “settlers” lived on the left bank of the Danube. In the same year, their first prayer house was opened on the site of today’s King Street, in the Hausler estate.

In 1826, the representative synagogue of the Viennese religious community was solemnly opened. Many Jews from Pest visited the imperial capital and were impressed by the local synagogue.

Sándor Buchler wrote about the background of the synagogue’s construction in his 1901 article, awarded the Tenczer Prize: “The plot on which the huge and richly decorated church was built once belonged to Baron Antal Baldacci. In 1837, on May 14, the baron leased the house with a garden to the community for thirty-two years, which at the same time amounted to 47,000 forints in gold. The Jews wanted to buy it out, but this was prevented by the fact that in cities, including Pest, Jews at that time still could not acquire property. Despite their requests in 1812 to allow the purchase of land for the construction of a synagogue and school, their request was denied. A similar attempt was also unsuccessful in 1825.”

A group of secular and religious leaders decided to build a synagogue in 1845. They were guided by the principle that a synagogue respecting traditions but also taking measures toward liberalization should be built in this place. It was assumed that services would be solemn, using an organ and choir.

Ancient commandments dictate (or even encourage) the work of the synagogue builder. First of all, the synagogue facade must face east, toward Jerusalem: this is why at the entrance to the synagogue on Dohány Street there is a deviation from the direction of the street.

The real vault of the synagogue at the lower part is filled with several layers of eastern ornamental decoration. The window opening on the upper level, covered with ornament, is divided by four columns. Above the column supports, at the lower level of the window openings and under the crenellated cornice along the entire facade of the church runs a stone braid. The facade cladding of the building is made of fired ceramics, the plinth of limestone and in places marble. Six steps lead to the richly decorated main entrance, which is surrounded by a brick-shaped frame. Semicircular windows on each side provide symmetry. Above the gates is a biblical quote: “V’na’asu li mikdash, b’tocham v’shachanti.” “And make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” The sum of the numerical values of the letters marked with an asterisk gives the date of the synagogue’s construction – 1859.

The openwork, skillfully executed rose window above the quote from the Holy Scripture is one of the main sources of light in the interior. The windows at the two edges imitate stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. This also emphasizes the religious character of the building. The uppermost zone of the midrashite consists of rhythmically repeating windows. Bricks of light and dark tones create harmony thanks to their material and arrangement.

Inside, on the eastern main wall, is the Ark of the Covenant, in which ancient Torah scrolls are kept. The Ark of the Covenant is covered with a velvet curtain and a tapestry with text in Hebrew and Jewish symbols: menorah, Star of David, double pillars (reminiscent of the Sanctuary pillars), Lion (Lion of Judah), and Crown (Crown of the Torah or knowledge). A staircase leads to the Ark of the Covenant, before which the eternal light always burns. (Priests ascended 15 steps to the altar of the ancient sanctuary, accompanied by song and the choir of Levites.) Additionally, in the synagogue on Dohány Street, solemnity is enhanced by the dome above the Ark of the Covenant, beautiful lanterns, seats, and metal railings.

The synagogue on Dohány Street is built as a temple complex. Its prototype is the ancient Christian basilica, adapted in the 19th century. The very form of the space evolved from the Roman temple. The gates were opened opposite the apse, so that people entering the temple were presented with the magical world of the temple, which creates an intimate atmosphere, fosters humility, and demands modesty. The creators of the synagogue were not Jews; they created a space consisting of well-known structural elements of the Christian temple. There is a perfect ratio between the vestibule and the church interior.

The hall can be accessed through three double-leaf entrances, characterized by a canopy structure decorated with iron finials. The hall is covered by three domes, the middle one being the largest. They are decorated with ornamental painting. Diffused light penetrates through a miniature rose window above the central portal. Entering the main structural unit of the synagogue, the three-nave interior, the mosaic covering the floor impresses everywhere. Geometric shapes pulse in one rhythm.

A monumental, impressive space opens before us. A sea of benches invites us to move forward, to the most important part of this place from a religious point of view, the Ark of the Covenant. To the right and left of the central aisle are seats for men.

In the longitudinal space rise two iron columns with huge semicircular projections. It is on them that the roof structure rests.

On the lower level and on the first floor, the wall is divided by a series of semicircular windows, in which the recurring motif is the six-pointed Star of David, almost protruding against a blue background; on the second level, light comes from three large rose windows on each side, creating an atmosphere of intimacy. In traditional synagogues, the Torah is read every Saturday morning from the central platform (Bimah in Hebrew), but in some modern synagogues, including here, it has been moved to the “altar part” at the eastern wall. Therefore, the Torah here is addressed to people not from among the people, but from above, as is done with sermons in Christian churches. In the synagogue on Dohány Street, by the first columns stands an impressive side pulpit with a spiral staircase, indicating the influence of Catholicism. Its placement is justified because one can only “speak” to the huge temple from here. In traditional synagogues, the Torah is read every Saturday morning from the central platform (Bimah in Hebrew), but in some modern synagogues, including here, it has been moved to the “altar part” at the eastern wall. Therefore, the Torah here is addressed to people not from among the people, but from above, as is done with sermons in Christian churches.

It was precisely in the millennial year 1896 that they first thought about creating a museum of “Jewish Religion in Hungary,” an exhibition of historical monuments of the Jews living here. At the suggestion of Miksa Szabolcsi, the materials of this exhibition became the core collection of the later Jewish Museum. In 1932, it was finally housed in the wing of the building built for the synagogue. Designed by László Rezső and Ferenc Faragó, the building fully corresponds to the synagogue and arcades. Recently, a small park with a memorial was added to the cemetery, bearing the names of Raoul Wallenberg, Giorgio Perlasca, and Per Anger, who saved countless lives.

Two cast-iron chandeliers in the main nave can be fully lowered and raised. This was necessary for two reasons. Replacement of lighting fixtures and maintenance of the structure allow the chandelier to be lowered so that staff can safely access it. The second reason is related to the sound of the organ. To achieve acoustically impeccable sound during concerts, the chandelier at the entrance is raised to the level of the second-floor gallery, while the chandelier on the eastern wall is raised about 3/4 of the total height.

One of the main commandments of the Jewish religion is the observance of the Sabbath. During this time, it is forbidden to light a fire or perform any work. Turning on lights and heating also matters. For this reason, the synagogue “caretaker” cannot be a person of Jewish faith, otherwise he would also draw back the curtain of the Ark of the Covenant, signal the organist, and operate all electrical appliances. No Jew can play the organ on the Sabbath because it also runs on electricity. In fact, music cannot be played on the Sabbath, especially in the synagogue.

A halachically acceptable solution for this was that the choir and organ were physically separated from the sacred part of the church, so that from a religious point of view, music and choir sounds penetrated the church “from outside.” This is no longer a violation of the Sabbath commandment. The Jewish religion considers intentional only what we do with our hands, feet, or mouth. We cannot influence hearing, smell, and sight – we cannot perform intentional actions with the help of our senses.

After the war, like many synagogues in Eastern Europe, the building gradually fell into disrepair. Only in 1996, several years after the fall of the communist regime in Hungary, did the synagogue’s renovation begin, with a budget of ten million dollars. Most of the amount was donated by the Hungarian government, Hollywood actor Tony Curtis (real name Bernard Schwartz), and Estée Lauder, a Hungarian-born Jewish owner of a cosmetics company. The reconstruction took about three years, and the building was restored to its original form.

Sources:

https://sewa7.livejournal.com/78762.html

https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doh%C3%A1ny_utcai_zsinag%C3%B3ga