Synagogues of East?Central Europe

On 1 October, the Hungarian Embassy in the Netherlands organised an exhibition based on the book by architecture historian and photographer Rudolf Klein.

The exhibition featured images and detailed descriptions of dozens of synagogues from nine countries across Central and Eastern Europe. As Péter Kirschner, President of the Hungarian Jewish Cultural Association, explains: “Synagogues embody values, identity, and dreams in stone and brick. This exhibition is a journey in space and time, displaying aspects of Jewish life and its economic and cultural flourishing within multinational empires. It offers a panoramic view of important shifts that took place as Jews came to play increasingly prominent and vital roles in the economic and cultural life of Europe, and it makes one stand dumbfounded once again at the incomprehensibility of the Holocaust.”

In his speech IHRA Chair, Szabolcs Takács, began by introducing guests to IHRA, a “unique and important organisation” founded fifteen years ago in Stockholm. “Its mission is to create an international narrative of how to remember one of the greatest tragedies in the history of mankind.” Mr Takács further underlined the need for Holocaust education, adding that it is crucial to understand “how it happened, why it happened, and what the consequences are.”

A full report of the event can be read on the website of the Holland Times.

Photo: Arnold Utama