Jewish Europe
|
Precious Synagogues Throughout Europe, the Jews built stunning synagogues in every vernacular from Gothic to Art Nouveau. Hundreds were destroyed during World War II, making those that remain all the more precious. Some of these are architectural curiosities like Prague's Old-New Synagogue (so named because some believe it contains stones from the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem), which has miraculously withstood fires and pogroms since the 13th century, and the candy-colored Jubilee Synagogue on Jeruszelemska street. Budapest has a spectacular collection of synagogues including the massive, onion-domed Dohany Street Synagogue. Completely renovated last spring, it serves the largest Jewish community in Eastern Europe. (There are some 100,000 Hungarian Jews). Some of the most dramatic effects of Jewish revival can be seen in Germany. "Knowing our history, which led to the greatest catastrophe that ever happened to the Jewish people, we have a difficult task," says Knut Haenschke, director of the German National Tourist Office in New York. "But Germany also has a rich Jewish heritage. We are trying to rediscover this and to help open to Jewish visitors all the facets of Jewish culture in Germany before Hitler came to power."
|
