Elise Hawthorne
On a recent family trip to Europe, I made sure to include visits to the old Jewish quarters in Vienna (my dad’s home town), Venice and Barcelona. The lives of Jewish people who lived in these cities was at times extremely tough. The word ghetto originated in Venice; it is the name of the area, the Venetian Ghetto, Jews were compelled to live on this tiny island from March 1516 until the French invasion of the city in 1797. Jews were not allowed to leave this area after dark, literally locked in for their safety.
Vienna has a long history of Jewish inhabitation. In the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities; renowned rabbis taught there. As is the case with the majority of other European cities and towns, Jews were at times murdered, tolerated, outcast, and also able to live in relative peace.
The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona (Sinagoga Major de Barcelona) located in the centre of Barcelona, is described as one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. After many centuries of use for other purposes, the building re-opened as a synagogue and museum in 2002. No congregation prays regularly at the Sinagoga Major, but it is used for festive occasions.
Sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to visit the Alteneu Shul (Old-New Synagogue) in Prague, in the Czech Republic, which dates from the 13th century, which is proposed to be the oldest active synagogue building in Europe.
Visiting these places was a bittersweet experience, knowing the hardship and at times terror that Jews who worshipped within these synagogues had to endure for the sole reason of being Jewish was heartbreaking. I honour their memories.
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