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The synagogue was built in 1845 by the Jewes community in the place of the previous modest chapel that was burt down in the fire in 1840 that destroyed most of the town.
In the XIX. Century in this flourishing trade town there was about 600 jewes citizen. Most of them was wealthy trader that’s why they could affford to ask the well-known arckitect from Pest Lajos Frey for the planning. It took two years to finish ths wonderful synagogue.
The inauguration was in 1845 that was a memorable date for the Hungarian Jewes community. Because that was the first time in Hungary when the inauguration address of the synagogue was in Hungarian language.
On the side of this wonderful building high above you could read it in Hungarian :
Only to the God
The main front from the courtyard was made to look more solemn by the double columned pre-hall.Above the columns the Heber worlds translations are: Not other this than God’s house and the gate to the heaven.
Inside there is a woman sides use to be that devides the space into three parts. Above the middle there rises a beautifully painted arced celing On the oposite side to the front door there stands the …..
The Heber writtting says on it : I always keep the eternal above me. Above the words appearing from the smoke the stone tablets of Moses.
During the World War II in Maj 1944 the Jewes from Baja and the surrondings was deported. Only few of them came back after the war. They did not use the chapel, the state of the building became worse and worse.
The town has bought the building in 1985 renovate it and coverted it into a library.
With careful arctkitect work they managed to convert the library functions in the building without touching the inside amosphere. The restored and kept many ritual objects such as the was-basin in the pre hall, the collecting box, ……….
Downstairs the lending books are placed, on the gallery-choir the reference library can be foun with confortable reading and searching places.
Because the acustic of the synagogue is very good it is able to provide a good place for concerts and literary events. Often they held an organ recital as the synagogue has it’s own electric organ.
If you have a chance to visit this pleasant little town next to the Danube, than you ought to find time to look around this wonderful synagogue as well.