Nová ortodoxná synagóga v Košiciach
The only continuously functioning synagogue in Košice today is the so-called New Orthodox Synagogue on Puškinova Street. It was built between 1926 and 1927 by the construction company of Hugo Kaboš. The design of this majestic building, as well as the adjacent modern school with a matzah bakery, was created by architects Lajos Oelschläger and Géza Boskó.
The building combines Oriental and modern architectural styles with a clear influence of Moorish design. The interior vault is supported by four columns, and a women’s gallery runs along the perimeter. A truly exceptional and progressive architectural feature is the heating system, using warm-air ducts leading through the basement directly into the floor and window sills.
The richly decorated interior, featuring stained glass windows with biblical motifs, includes a seven-branched menorah and a nine-branched chanukiah. The almemor (Torah reading platform) has also been preserved, above which hangs a central chandelier shaped like the Star of David. Above the Torah ark (Aron HaKodesh) there is a Hebrew inscription meaning: “Know before whom you stand.”
During the Second World War, Jews were detained here before deportation. A reminder of these tragic events is a preserved inscription on the wall in Hungarian: “We were here, and we do not know where they are taking us,” which remained even after the synagogue’s reconstruction.
In 1992, a bronze commemorative plaque was unveiled on the front façade of the synagogue in memory of the 12,000 Jews from Košice deported to concentration camps. Today, services are held only on two major holidays: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
