Originally built in 1872, the synagogue which lies in what used to be a Jewish ghetto in Budapest, was never fully restored after World War II.
Now complete, the synagogue will be used by all streams of Judaism and for public education, regardless of religion.The building will also serve as the new home of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Hungary office.
WJC’s President Ronald S. Lauder personally thanked Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the financial aid of the Hungarian government of 3.2 billion Hungarian forint ($11,254.53 USD) for the restoration and renovation of the synagogue.
More than half of the Hungarian Jewish community, nearly 450,000 people, were murdered in the Holocaust. The synagogue has been renovated in the hope of supporting and revitalizing the Jewish population in Hungary.
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder joined MAZSIHISZ, the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities and the Hungarian affiliate of the WJC, to celebrate the reopening of the synagogue."Without this synagogue, I would not be here,” Lauder said. “My grandparents moved to Budapest to get married and had their wedding in the very space we are currently celebrating. They eventually moved to Vienna, and then to New York as antisemitism grew throughout Hungary. And if they did not make that move, I wouldn’t be here today, let alone part of this historic celebration commemorating a very positive step forward for Hungary’s Jewish community.”
While speaking, Lauder displayed a stone that was part of the original Rumbach synagogue, which he has carried throughout his travels as WJC president. It was passed down by his grandparents.