The first synagogue of Józsefváros was consecrated 100 years ago, and it is still the largest prayer house in the 8th district of Budapest, at 4 Nagy Fuvaros Street. The synagogue of the Jewish Community of Budapest (BZSH) has been served for more than 10 years by the rabbis of the Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities (EMIH), helping the community, which has set an example throughout the country with its unique religious life. On Sunday, it commemorated the centenary of its founding with a large-scale celebration.
The Torah scrolls were brought into the overflowing synagogue on Nagy Fuvaros Street, with Jewish melodies performed in a festive style with cello and violin, and were placed into the holy ark. The gypsy musicians’ distinctive, lively music accurately evoked the spirit of the room and also harmoniously complemented the children and women’s chatter in the background.
The classic shmooze-arias created a real birthday party atmosphere, and the program began with a natural, cozy feel. In a place where the faithful gather every morning and evening to pray — a habit they never abandoned, even during the Holocaust as a „star house” [Jewish homes were designated with a yellow star by decree] nor during the darkest days of socialism — it could not have continued otherwise than with an evening prayer.
One of the special features of the event was that the prominent figures of the two largest Hungarian Jewish organizations participated together—- something that is rarely seen in Hungary today.
The community’s elders, leaders, current and former rabbis jointly placed the Torah scrolls in their place, followed by a series of speeches of welcome and remembrance. There was much to look back on. The „Nagyfuvaros,” as the synagogue in Józsefváros is known, has been keeping the flame alive as a witness to great times and great spirits for 100 years.
On September 17, 1922, the building, which had been purchased shortly before by the community, then known as the First Józsefváros Benevolent Philanthropic Society, was consecrated by the status quo Chief Rabbi Dr. Illés Adler and local rabbis Ármin Rosenberg and Dr. Lajos Scheiber. The establishment at that time was originally based on Szilágyi Street. It was then the largest prayer house in the district.
The Jews of Józsefváros did not have a synagogue of their own until 1922, although there were about half a hundred (!) prayer houses in the district. As Tamás Goldberger, one of the leaders of the Nagyfuvaros, describes in his work „From Sunrise to Sunset,” which was prepared for the recent centenary:
The Jewish population of Józsefváros started to increase at the turn of the century. In 1870, there were only about 2,000 Jews, but 30 years later there were more than 20,000. Since research shows that the majority of the Jewish population of the district at that time were poor people from the countryside, it was probably for this reason that it took many years before a separate temple was established.
The synagogue of Józsefváros, which still has the largest floor area, eventually had a seating capacity of 800. Dezső Freund fulfilled the wishes of his clients by building out the courtyard of the purchased apartment building. The beautiful Art Deco style is still evident in the interior furnishings and ritual objects.
The ambitious undertaking is still successful after 100 years. This achievement, the effectiveness and commitment to the continuity of faith and its daily life, was also highlighted by the speakers. All 12!
The first to speak was the current rabbi, Chaim Shaul Glitsenstein of Israel, who has been working for the community for two years as an EMIH delegate. The young rabbi, like his predecessor — the spiritual leader of the Zsilip synagogue in Budapest, which opened last year, Samuel Glitzenstein — has been accepted and loved by the BZSH community. Not only the leader of the organization, Tamás Mester, emphasized this in his speech, but also Gábor Streit, the son of the president of the community, later personally told us.
The current rabbi was succeeded by four former rabbis — László Deutsch, Alfréd Schőner, Zoltán Radnóti and István Darvas — who had served at the synagogue. All of them highlighted the work of Rabbi Tamás Raj, who served the temple for several decades, and praised the merits of the current president, Sándor Streit. They also spoke highly of several prominent figures in Hungarian Neology, such as Rabbis Lajos Scheiber, László Salgó and Ödön Singer, and the achievements of the influential Chief Cantor László Stern. They all spoke with pride of the Talmud Torah classes in the building as well.
In his speech, Zoltán Radnóti said that he had a decade of service to Nagyfuvaros, eight of which he had been a rabbi, and that he owed almost everything to Tamás Raj, who was „a ray of light” and who gave him the confidence to prove himself. István Darvas, the recently appointed rabbi of Fehérvár, gave a short and impassioned speech to the gathering. Recalling his six years of service here, he stressed that he was very grateful to this community because he had learned a lot about humanity here. He said that every rabbinic leader needs the experience that this community can give him for his career.
„Even in times of general despair, this community was able to restore faith in the possibility of a religious Jewish life in Hungary,” said István Darvas.
After the Neolog rabbis, András Heisler, president of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz), gave a very short speech in which he praised the rabbis. Even though we were only halfway through the speeches, the president routinely noted that the salutations were far from over. In his tribute, Heisler expressed his gratitude to the keepers of the traditions of the past, and made special mention of the centenary book by Tamás Goldberger.
Shortly afterwards, Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, the founder of the Chabad Lubavitch movement in Hungary and the leader of the Orthodox community on Vasvári Street, also gave a speech, expressing his sincere hope and confidence, not only congratulating the community on its 100 years of achievements, but also praising the current leadership. As he said, „Here today we are celebrating not only the past but also the future, I am sure of this.”
Also speaking to the audience with words of optimism and gratitude was Samuel Glitzenstein, the EMIH rabbi who was asked to become the religious leader of the community of Nagyfuvaros in 2010. He recalled his nearly a decade of service here as „not just a community, but a real family.” It is no coincidence that he still comes back here from time to time.
György Szabó, president of the Public Foundation of Jewish Heritage in Hungary (MAZSÖK), not only highlighted the wedding of his grandparents here in 1941, but in his speech he expressed his gratitude for the continuity of religious life within the walls of this synagogue, even in the most difficult times. As he said,
the „Nagyfuvaros is one of the jewels of Budapest Jewry,” of which all members of the community can be proud.
As the second hour of the event approached, the president of the Budapest Jewish Community (BZSH) made an emotional speech to the local leadership, remembering members of his own family who had come here. In addition, Tamás Mester also looked back meticulously on the most outstanding moments of the community’s 100 years.
„The Nagyfuvaros has always been proud of its unyielding religious spirit,” the president stressed.
György Mester, the vice-president of the Nagyfuvaros Street Synagogue community, also recalled some personal reflections. He remembered former community members who, in the 60 years of his life here, have remained for him as embodying „the real people of the 8th district, lovable even in their brusqueness,” Whether they were simple peddlers, everyday football referees, or just lonely friends in search of faith. „Without the inclusion of these people, this community could not be what it is” – he added.
The fact that those present at the ceremony truly respected their president, Sándor Streit, was evident from the fact that the words of the president, who spoke at the end of almost two hours of speeches, were heard by as many people as the first speaker.
At the beginning of his speech, Sándor Streit stood up from the podium with his four grandchildren. Holding the hands of the children, he began his speech by expressing his gratitude to the Almighty first and his gratitude to his family second. His grandchildren, he said, are the sixth generation of the Streit family belonging to this community. His great-grandparents joined the Emberbarát Egylet in the 1880s. Since then, they have all stuck to their religion. He himself attended Talmud Torah from the age of 3.
The President was delighted to report that, to mark the 100th anniversary celebrations, they had succeeded, with the help of a supporter, in restoring a replica of the original granite slab on the front façade of their building, which bears witness to the „philanthropic” denomination. In a less solemn tone, he also revealed that „since they have not been able to find a suitable cantor for a long time, he is trying to fill the role as an occasional substitute, in addition to his duties related to prayer.„
As he told Neokohn’s field staff at the end of the speeches, he is confident that his children and grandchildren will continue the religion as a family tradition. Optimistically, he mentioned the post-1956 era: Because many houses of worship in the district had closed and many had defected, there were so many people coming to worship in those years that entry tickets were sold and were in such demand that they always sold out quickly.
We spoke to one of President Streit’s sons, Gábor, in his mid-40s, on the street after the cake-eating ceremony. As he was brought up in a religious upbringing, it was natural for him and his brother’s families to come here. Asked whether the community’s attitude had changed after they had employed EMIH rabbis as a BZSH member organization, Gábor replied that they had asked both organizations for religious leaders to meet their needs, but had found that religiousness was more important in the EMIH house.
For the past 100 years, the synagogue on Nagy Fuvaros Street has been able to continue its activities without interruption in an almost unprecedented way. It has not been demolished, it has not been turned into a museum or a furniture store, and it has not been willing or able to become a mall or alternative entertainment venue.
In the early 1950s, the apartments in the building were nationalized, but the synagogue’s operations were not affected, and it became an increasingly important part of Józsefváros as the pre-war neighborhood places of worship were closed. This role and mission continue to take shape. Yashar koach and Mazal Tov, Nagyfuvaros!
