Fullscale restoration work is under way at the so-called Memorial to the Deportees Synagogue in Cluj-Napoca (Koloszvár), Romania, and a Jewish cultural and social center will be developed next to it.
Work began at the beginning of October, and the Moorish-style building on Horea street, with its distinctive onion domes, is currently covered by scaffolding.
According to the news site mazsol.ro, the cost of the project amounts to €1 million, and it is financed by the city’s small Jewish community — just 423 members — through the sale of land it owned.
The synagogue was designed by the engineer Izir Hegner and built in 1886-1887 for the Neolog community. It was rebuilt after it was severely damaged by the Iron Guard in 1927 and then again after damage suffered during World War II.
Mazsol.ro states that a Jewish culture center, with a Jewish museum, is to be installed in the building next door to the synagogue, which has been vacated by the music school that had rented it. The new center, to be operational in “three to four years” is to include a kosher restaurant, medical office, social department, offices and guest rooms.
The Memorial synagogue is one of several synagogue buildings in Cluj. Among them:
The former Sas Chevra synagogue, built in 1922 and located on Croitorilor street, houses the Moshe Carmilly Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, a department of Babes-Bolyai University that was founded in the early 1990s.
The former Poalei Tzedek synagogue, entered through a courtyard at Baritiu street 16A, has housed a contemporary art and culture center called Tranzit House since 1997.
Read the Maszol.ro article (in Hungarian)
5 comments on “Romania: the Moorish-style Memorial Synagogue in Cluj (Kolozsvár) is under restoration; a Jewish social & cultural center is also to be developed”
My mother, Miriam Goldrat, was born in Koloszvar in 1934. The Rosenfeld family was large. My grandfather Izzo (Itzhak) left to Palestine in 1939. He brother Jacob, left to NYC in 1929. Another brother, Emanuel (mono) also left in 1929 and ended up in Mexico City.
My maternal grandmother’s family name was Richenstine and Cohen.
Thank you
Shai Gold
Miami, Florida
shai33186@gmail.com
Hello!
I will be visiting Cluj on concert tour, arriving 25 October, departing 5 November. I’ll be performing a piano recital at the Academy of Music on the 26th, at the Unitarian Church in Desfalva on the 27th, presenting a lecture at the French Institute the 29th, a masterclass at the Academy on the 29th and on 3 November, performing Beethoven’s 3rd Concerto with the Young-Famous Orchestra under Maestro Vladimir Agachi.
It would be wonderful to visit the Synagogue and to meet members of the community, who are all warmly invited to my appearances.
Shanah Tovah!
Paul-André Bempéchat
I was borne at 47 HORIA st in 1945 and remember very well the beautiful synagogue.
I finally had the occasion to enter the building two years ago during the 2nd annual Jewish Cultural Days in our city. Since my early childhood I have been told by my father about this interesting building, when walking in front of it, as well as a short history of the Jewish nation. I have decided to take the first opportunity to enter the temple and pay my respect to those who lived, worked and died. That moment arrived in the year of my 50th anniversary and I am thankful. Time does not heal, but thoughts do.
I am so thrilled that this building will finally be restored the way it can be. The last time I was in Cluj I was able to attend Yom Kippur services here with the wonderful, caring Jewish community. I have always experienced a feeling of strength and hope here, even when it was locked. It strengthened my soul.