?The House of Israel? Synagogue
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The Jewish Community from Brasov and the Zionist Association from Romania have organized this year several memorial events at the Brasov Community Centre. Here hundreds of Jewish communities from Romania were evoked, as well as their impressive destinies before and after the Holocaust, and the main Jewish holidays were celebrated. A unique moment in the history of the Jewish Community from Brasov was the moment when the Synagogue in Poarta Schei Street got the name of "Beit Israel", meaning "The House of Israel". Personalities of the religious, cultural and political life, as well as a great number of students and undergraduates from Brasov attended the event.
A Suggestive Name
The Synagogue from Brasov, situated in Poarta Schei Street, is 115 years old. During all this time it did not have its own name. ?Beit Israel ? The House of Israel is a suggestive name we gave to the Synagogue, just like a new born is given a name, and it stands for something that has just begun. The new generation will carry on the activity of this sacred place, preserving the Jewish belief and tradition. It is an open home for everyone and let me here say that there are few Synagogues opened every day for everyone, like ours, and it is not guarded by the Police. Brasov is a magic town, which inspires peace, friendship and trust, and this Synagogue is like a small Israel?, said Mr. Tiberiu Roth, President of the Jewish Community from Brasov.
The Stained Glass - The Connection with Israel
70 years ago, the Synagogue from Brasov had stained glass with the names of those who paid for its maintenance. Nowadays, the place of worship has new stained glass containing the blazons of the cities where the Jewish who left Brasov or Romania currently live. All the symbols represent a bridge between Romania and Israel.
The shofar is the instrument calling the Jewish for the gathering. When the Synagogue in Poarta Schei Street was named "Beit Israel", the shofar gathered more than 200 Jewish in the Synagogue from Brasov.
A one-time experience
?This is a one-time experience and I am happy that the Synagogue from Brasov has a name. The stained glass here represents 23 Israeli cities and shows the connection that exists between this community and the State of Israel. The Jewish here contribute to the political, economic and cultural development of the country. Moreover, the contribution of the Jewish communities from Romania has an enormous value for the formation of the State of Israel. I truly appreciate the community from Brasov, who keeps the memory of those who disappeared in the Holocaust alive?, said Mr. Dan Ben-Eliezer, Ambassador of Israel to Bucharest.
