Budapest: Holocaust Remembrance

I am back again from another weekend getaway. This past weekend I traveled to the magnificent city of Budapest, Hungary. My friends and I stayed in the jewish quarters of the city and I was fortunate enough to explore the history behind the city. As a Jewish American girl, I grew up in a small suburban town with the majority of individuals following the beliefs of catholicism. I felt like I was a minority of religion because not many people were like me. As a result, my expectations studying abroad was that I would not see many individuals express their Judaism or see many jewish-affiliated places. I was wrong and Budapest was filled with Jewish pride.

Taking a segway tour around the city,  I was able to understand that the Buda side and the Pest side were separated by a river running through. Eventually through time, the city was ruled to become one, “Budapest.” On this tour, we viewed several parts of the city including the river’s edge on the Pest side and one particular sculpture spoke out to me. By the riverside, there are dozens of metal shoes: untied and unfilled (“The Shoes on Dunabe River”). The shoes represent the horror of the Holocaust that took over the world and also as a memorial of those shot during the Arrow Cross Terror. Each pair is representative of victims who were killed: some shot and thrown into the river, others ripped from their homes and forced into concentration camps. Budapest remembers those who have fallen during that horrible time.

Budapest is also home to one of the largest synagogues in the world (Duhany Street Synagogue).

The synagogue, down the street from the Air BnB was beautiful, every detail of tile and stone. Budapest was a great city, with beautiful views but I was happy to explore the history behind it.