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Since this was in such opposition to the Orthodox rules and the way to respect God in the Orthodox synagogue, the Orthodox said about the Neologs, that they were worse than the Catholics. We had an organ, which wasn’t allowed, and something else - we usually went in shoes, and not in slippers.
It’s true that we got dressed up, we never went in some I don’t know, cut out skirt. If the Orthodox women have a wig on, that’s good, if they don’t, then they cover their head. In the beginning this was the case with Neologs as well, but we girls didn’t have to. Later this practice gained a lot of supporters, and women had to observe this custom as well.
In the year 1923 they built a synagogue in Hejdukova Street. It may have been small, but at least it was a synagogue. The smaller prayer halls, I don’t know their exact number, but there were a few, were mainly Orthodox. Each synagogue had to have two rooms. One was for men, the other was for women.
There was also one in Kapucinska Street. I can’t remember it exactly now, I never went there. When ours [Rybne Namestie] still stood, I attended there, but after the war it wasn’t there anymore.
They used our temple on Fish Square [Rybne Namestie] as a warehouse during the war. After the war, since the Germans had smashed it up, we put it back together from donations. We didn’t have to rebuild it, just fix it up. There was a big entrance hall.
They placed about 25 centimeter little plaques on the walls, those who bought them and had them made, for the people whose relations didn’t come back [from deportation]. One cost 2000 koruna. That 2000 koruna was the equivalent of 20,000 today. [In 2004, 100 koruna = about 3,5 USD] I bought one in memory of my parents.
They renovated the whole temple very, very nicely. When it was finished in 1946, they consecrated it. The cultural minister at the time, Novomesky [12] was there. We had a rabbi then. Doctor Frieder was his name. We had a rabbi, a cantor and a chorus.
It’s true that we got dressed up, we never went in some I don’t know, cut out skirt. If the Orthodox women have a wig on, that’s good, if they don’t, then they cover their head. In the beginning this was the case with Neologs as well, but we girls didn’t have to. Later this practice gained a lot of supporters, and women had to observe this custom as well.
In the year 1923 they built a synagogue in Hejdukova Street. It may have been small, but at least it was a synagogue. The smaller prayer halls, I don’t know their exact number, but there were a few, were mainly Orthodox. Each synagogue had to have two rooms. One was for men, the other was for women.
There was also one in Kapucinska Street. I can’t remember it exactly now, I never went there. When ours [Rybne Namestie] still stood, I attended there, but after the war it wasn’t there anymore.
They used our temple on Fish Square [Rybne Namestie] as a warehouse during the war. After the war, since the Germans had smashed it up, we put it back together from donations. We didn’t have to rebuild it, just fix it up. There was a big entrance hall.
They placed about 25 centimeter little plaques on the walls, those who bought them and had them made, for the people whose relations didn’t come back [from deportation]. One cost 2000 koruna. That 2000 koruna was the equivalent of 20,000 today. [In 2004, 100 koruna = about 3,5 USD] I bought one in memory of my parents.
They renovated the whole temple very, very nicely. When it was finished in 1946, they consecrated it. The cultural minister at the time, Novomesky [12] was there. We had a rabbi then. Doctor Frieder was his name. We had a rabbi, a cantor and a chorus.
Location
Slovakia
Interview
Katarina Löfflerova