Home of Jewish past nearly sacrificed for future.

(From The Slovak Spectator)

Byline: Eric Smillie Spectator staff

Synagogue in PreSov was once considered for sale and transport to USA A FUNCTIONING Orthodox synagogue in the eastern Slovak town of PreSov today houses the oldest Jewish museum in Slovakia that records the history of the community in the region. Roughly a decade ago, however, the decision over the synagogue's future caused a controversial debate within PreSov's Jewish community. "In the late 1980s and early 1990s, American Jews wanted to buy the synagogue and move it to Los Angeles. The people of PreSov had to decide whether or not to sell it. But luckily the purchase didn't take place," said the museum's guide Imrich Konya. The money from the sale would have been used to develop the PreSov Jewish community. The museum, established in the town in 1928, moved into the synagogue, which was built in a Moorish style in 1897, ten years ago. It is located on the synagogue's balcony, which runs around three sides of the building's interior, and used to be the traditional space reserved for female worshipers. It features the rich history of the community, whose first rabbi finished his career at Cambridge University, while the present rabbi held the position of High Rabbi for two years in Israel. "It was the right thing to not sell it," Konya said. "The museum is important because there are very few Jews here now, and as they leave their memory also leaves." The Jewish community in PreSov is the 3rd largest in Slovakia, totalling between 60 and 100 people. Before the second world war there were about 6,000 members of the Jewish community in PreSov, but only 800 came back after the war. Konya explained that in January 1945, when the war ended, the first Jews to return to PreSov decided which religious buildings they would keep in use. The synagogue was found in some disorder, but essentially preserved. "There was never any reconstruction of the synagogue," he said. "Here, everything is practically the same as it was before the war." These days, however, few people come to the services, which are held in the synagogue on Saturday, the Jewish day of worship. Sometimes there is no service at all, as, according to orthodox rules, no service can take place if less than nine men attend on Saturday. Lack of attendance is due to the average age in the community, which is over 70 years old. "The PreSov Jews are old, so for everyone something hurts... When there's good weather they come and when there's bad weather they don't come," Konya said. He added that a special winter chamber with heating has been added to the building to make their attendance more comfortable, but more needs to be done. The President of the Jewish Community in Bratislava, Peter Salner, said that he could understand that the decision about selling the synagogue in PreSov was a difficult task ...