Before reading further, I want everyone to know that today was a fun day. We spent much of the middle of the day enjoying a traditional Hungarian meal (i.e. Mexican food), sang happy birthday to a beloved classmate, posed for glorious photos with all of Budapest as our backdrop, and just came back from 90 minutes of free time that included dinner and shopping. Having said that, for those who were paying attention, there was also a chance to learn about the Jews of Hungary, past and present.
For as long as there has been a Hungary there have been Jews at the center of it all. During the Middle Ages, Jews were so prominent and central to the functioning of the country that Hungarian currency even had Hebrew writing on it. As a well established, prosperous, highly educated ethnic community, by the 19th century, Jews made up approximately 25% of Budapest's population. Hungarian Jewry boasts many Nobel Laureates, professors, prominent scientists, artists, authors, musicians, and cultural figures. There are also many Hungarian Jews who played an essential role in the shaping of Modern Judaism, most notably Hannah Senesh (poet and resistance fighter) and Theodore Herzl (the founder of Modern Zionism). Hungarian Jews are proud of their heritage and, in spite of the darkest chapters of our story here, many of them have a deep and abiding love for Budapest, their home.
The ultimate symbol of Jewish Hungary is the Dohany Synagogue. In a previous post I may have indicated that it is the 5th largest synagogue in the world. It turns out that it is likely the 3rd largest. Not only Jews, but virtually all visitors to Budapest, tour the Dohany Synagogue. During our time there we shared the space with hundreds of fellow tourists, most of them of faiths and traditions other than Judaism. In addition to being an exquisite synagogue, Dohany is also a Holocaust Memorial. In 1945 more than 2,000 murdered Jews were found dead and subsequently buried in mass graves in the courtyard. There is a tree there, made of metal, uprooted from the earth. Each leaf bears a name. When viewed upside down, the tree looks almost like a Menorah. As we sang Hannah Senesh's famous poem, Eli Eli, several tourists stopped to listen. One family from Northern Ireland asked what the song was and said they were moved to tears by our singing.
How can Hungary be a site of Jewish renaissance given the horrorific way that the Holocaust unfolded here? I was not aware and you may be equally unaware, that due to an alliance with the Nazis, Hungary did not begin to deport Jews until April of 1944, when the war was already winding down in many areas. Between April and July of 1944, approximately 440,000 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz, never to return. That's an astounding number. Later that year and into 1945, when the alliance with the Nazis imploded and deportations stopped, the Hungarian Fascist Government known as the Aero Cross took it upon themselves to murder Jews on their own. They did so in ways that defy our ability to comprehend due to their complete lack of humanity such as shooting Jews and watching their bodies turn the Danube red. We contemplated this cruelty as we paid our respects at the "Shoes on the Danube" memorial. It was very moving to see our students pay such respectful homage to this painful story. It was also quite moving to see how many yellow ribbons had been added to the memorial. We concluded by saying Mourner's Kaddish, but with the reminder that as Jews we always carry our hope with us and our belief that good will win out over evil. To sweeten the mood a bit, we stopped for a little bit of cake, coffee, and chocolate.
As previously mentioned, both of our local guides are Hungarian Jews. Since Hungary is part of the EU, living in Budapest is a choice that they have made. Why live in Budapest knowing that to be a Jew here is to live in the shadow of such a uniquely cruel and barbaric shadow? Why live in Budapest when many Jews are currently fearful that the current Hungarian Government seems to be committed to telling a revisionist history of the Holocaust where Hungarians were innocent bystanders and victims of the Nazis when that is absolutely historically inaccurate? Why not find a more stable, comfortable, or safe home?
For our guides and for more than 100,000 other Hungarian Jews the answer is that Hungary is their home. They love the food, the culture, the energy, the unique sense of humor, the literature... Many Hungarian Jews have lived abroad only to find themselves returning to Hungary, returning to Budapest. Having spent a few days in Budapest, admittedly as tourists, I think our students and all of us who are here on this trip have a greater appreciation for the idea of Budapest as a home for Jews. Our connections here, especially the human ones, means that the story of Jews here is now a part of our Jewish story as well.
Speaking of home, tomorrow is a day devoted entirely to fun, shopping, bonding, cooking, cruising, and enjoying our last full day together!
No comments:
Post a Comment