Jewish History Thrives in Budapest

For those interested in a kosher travel or the Jewish communities along the Danube, Budapest is full of Jewish history and sights. The first Jewish community was formed around the 12th century when most of the people were merchants and craftsmen.

Nowadays, one can visit the Pava Synagogue and the new wing which houses the Holocaust Memorial Centre. The asymmetrical outline of the building, the dislocated walls and the descending stairs in the exhibition halls all symbolize the twisted time of the Holocaust. The Jewish Museum, next to the famous Dohany Street Synagogue is full of interesting exhibits and artifacts and well worth a visit. It has a rich collection of Judaica and is the second largest Jewish museum in Europe. The Dohany Street shul itself was inaugurated in 1659 and was built in the Moorish style. Indeed, when you first see it, it looks very impressive indeed, as does the interior. The Holocaust memorial, called the Tree of Life, is a very moving structure in the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park. Its silver leaves are inscribed with the names of the Hungarian Jews who were killed during the Holocaust and is a very moving place to stand and contemplate for a while.

Wandering around the compact neighbourhood, there is still a lot of wonderful sights to remind us of the lively and prosperous Jewish life that once existed here. There are remains of former Jewish stores, Jewish symbols and menorah decorations on balconies.

On the shores of the Danube is another poignant reminder of the Jews who once lived in this vibrant city – the Shoes on the Danube memorial, which is dedicated to the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust. Stand here for a few moments to reflect how they must have suffered!

There is so much of Jewish interest to see in this city and knowing that you can do this in style on a Kosher River Cruises’s holiday, makes it all the more relaxing. After a long day in the kosher tour, sightseeing, you can return to your fully kosher boat to enjoy freshly-cooked glatt kosher meals and then relax and get ready for another day of exciting and interesting touring.