Dohany Street Synagogue, Budapest

Otherwise known as the "Great Synagogue," the Dohany Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest synagogue in the world.  It holds upwards of 3,000 people.  The Dohany Street Synagogue was built between 1854 and 1859.  It is designed like a basilica and includes architectural elements from the Byzantine and Moorish styles.  It is home to 25 torah (Jewish Bible) scrolls, which were taken from synagogues that were destroyed during the Holocaust.

Between the two World Wars, anti-Semitisim became popular in the Central European region.  Hungry became an ally of Germany and the Arrow Cross Party became more popular throughout the country.  As a result, the Dohany Street Synagogue was damaged in 1939 by the fascist Arrow Cross Party in Hungary.

Interior of the synagogue

There are many parts of the whole synagogue, one of which is the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum contains exhibits about Jewish traditions and history - particularly Hungarian Jewish history - as well as World War II information about the Holocaust.  The Heroes' Temple was added to the Dohany Street Synagogue in 1931.  It's a memorial to the Hungarian Jews who fought and died in World War I.  The Jewish Cemetery is located behind the Heroes' Temple.  The majority of those buried in the cemetery are Jews who died in the Jewish ghetto during the winter of 1944-45.  Also in the back courtyard where the cemetery is located is a piece of the original brick wall of the ghetto.

Holocaust Memorial "Emanuel Tree"

The Raul Wallenberg Memorial Park is located directly behind the Dohany Street Synagogue.  This park is home to the Holocaust Memorial, also known as the "Emanuel Tree".  The Holocaust Memorial is a weeping willow tree that has the names of Hungarian Jews murdered during World War II and the Holocaust on the leaves.  It also contains plaques with the names of non-Jewish Hungarians who saved Jews during the Holocaust.


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Sources:

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Mosaics, zantine. "Dohány Street Synagogue - Budapest, Hungary." Sacred Sites and Religious Travel - Sacred Destinations. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013. .

Samsa, Gregor. "Dohány Street Synagogue | Flickr - Photo Sharing!." Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013. .

"Tree of Life | Jewish Folk Songs." Jewish Folksongs - Jewish Songs of the Diaspora. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013. .