I arrived Subotica with high expectations. Curious to visit this city, situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia, not far from the border with Hungary. Hundreds of years ago it was a tiny town in the Kingdom of Hungary, and later became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Towards the end of the 19th century, peace and prosperity brought fresh artistic influences through Budapest, and Subotica became a center of Secession architecture – Hungarian flavor of Art Nouveau. Jews who lived in Subotica were not restricted from any occupations, and the Jewish community of the city flourished. At the beginning of the 20th century, a design competition took place for a new synagogue. The Jewish community decided to choose the design that won… second prize in the competition, a design by Marcell Komor and Dezsö Jakab, at that time famous Hungarian architects from Budapest. They designed the synagogue in Hungarian Art Nouvaeau style, and since then it is the only synagogue in Europe which contains aspects of this artistic style. Art Nouvaeau is all about decorations inspired by nature – feathers, branches, flowers, curves – perfect for a synagogue, where human figures are forbidden. The synagogue was finally built in 1902.
Looking at the small city of Subotica (around 100,000 residents) from the City Hall Clock Tower (yet another magnificent Hungarian Art Nuveau building by Komor & Jakab), the synagogue dominates the sight.
Getting closer, its facades are truly remarkable. Facade decorations and roof tiles were made by the Pécs Zsolnay ceramics factory, that supplied ceramics to many buildings in Subotica that were built in similar style.
The synagogue can host up to 1600 people, on the ground floor for men and upper gallery for women. The main hall is 23 meters high, the diameter of the dome is 12.6 meters, and the total height of the building is 40 meters.
This is a view of the Ark (“Aron Hakodesh”).
and here’s a view to the opposite side
From the upper gallery, the sight is breathtaking
with another angle of the Ark
and a general dramatic view
Stained glass windows were made by Miksa Roth studio in Budapest.
And here is the dome
Prior to World War II, the Jewish community of Subotica had 6000 people. Most of them were murdered by the Nazis. After the holocaust the tiny community that was left in Subotica could not maintain the building, and it became a property of the city in 1976. During the 1980s, theater performances were held there. But in the past few years, the synagogue gains its resurrection. It has been carefully renovated and regained its former glory, attracting curious people from all over the world to enjoy its beauty. In autumn 2018 the synagogue is still not officially open for visitors, but it will be so in the near future.
14 Responses
שין כף, סן חוזה, קוסטה ריקה.
כמו הנוצרים, משקיעים המון כספים לבניית מוניומנטים לאווילות. מוטב היה שהכספים ילכו לעזרת אלו שאין להם מספיק למחייתם. אבל בתרבות ״הז-ן שלי גדול משלך״ אני לא מתפלא שזה קורה.
Mordechai Moncarsz, Aventura, FL. U.S.A.
I respect your opinion but I do not share it.
Money serves many purposes. There is money for charity as well as for building synagogues.
And by the way, the name of the culture you refer to sounds very gross and untasteful.
Respeto tu opinión pero no la comparto.
El dinero sirve para muchos propósitos. Hay dinero para caridad tal como lo hay para construir sinagogas.
De paso, el nombre de la cultura a la que te refieres suena muy grosero y falto de gusto.
Avivi Shalom
גיא שחר הנכבד! אנחנו נהנים מהמראות היפים שאתה שולח לנו שנים רבות!
הפעם מדובר בתרבות היהודים שנותרה באירופה שמרבית יהודיה נטשוה !
Nitsun Eliezer
שלום היקר.
נטשוה???
נורו הורעבו נשרפו והוחנקו בגז לא נטשו
נועם, סן פרנסיסקו
עוצר נשימה. אבל איך בית הכנסת שרד את הנאצים?
וזה עוגב שם למעלה מעל ארון הקודש או שזה רק נראה ככה?
בן עמי פלג, חיפה
אמנם ביה”כ יפהפה. בתקוה שיהיה גם בשימוש כבי”כ
ישראל
ארכיטקטורה נוצרי מובהקת ,עדיין יפה ומיוחד
Mike. Miami Florida
Interested to know who and or how it was rebuilt into its current state ?
אסתר מרקןביץ חולון
גיא שחר היקר שלום רב,
ברצוני לבקש ממך תרגום לדברים היפים שאתה מציג
Shosh Shalev-Minuk
Thank you for sharing! It’s indeed very beautiful!
Allan Kirson, Chicago
We just got back from trip to Athens, where we met a Serbian travel agent from Subotica. He said that this is the largest synagogue in Europe – is it so?
Maurice Antebi Tel Aviv
Ce n’est pas seulement une synagogue mais une oeuvre d’art . merci a ceux quii onts construits , gardes , soignes cette synagogue au fil des annees .
Peter Kirbus, Budapest
It is not the largest Synagogue in Europe. The largest is the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest. Some say Subotica Synagogue is the second largest, but i have my doubts. Anyway, it is a beautiful Synagogue
Sion
Subitica synagoge is the 2nd largest, the largest is not in Budapest but in Sezeged (Hungary), look it up on wikipedia