Romania is a fascinating country with a deep Jewish past. It’s also emerging as a luxury tourist destination that offers guests a combination of culture and history, urban sophistication, sunny beach resorts and mountain nature reserves. Romania’s famous Transylvanian forests come complete with atmospheric medieval villages that could be straight from the set of a Dracula movie!
A customized itinerary to explore Romania’s 2,000 year old Jewish heritage is a rewarding and enriching experience that offers unique insights into a largely forgotten chapter of the diaspora story. This post looks in more detail at Jewish culture and history in Romania and the best heritage sites to include in a tailored luxury tour with Gil Travel.
A Quick Guide to the Jewish History of Romania
Jews have lived in Rumania since the time of the Roman Empire. Although Romania is an Eastern European country, its name is derived from the word Rome and modern Romanian is a romance language related to Italian and French. Early Jewish settlers were certainly present in the 2nd century CE and it’s likely that Jewish merchants and traders continued to follow Romania’s Danube and Black Sea routes after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
The historical picture is much clearer during the middle ages. There is documentary evidence of Sephardi communities in the region by the early 1300s, and the lands that eventually became Romania provided refuge to Jews fleeing persecution in Hungary and Poland. There were certainly Jews in Bucharest by the mid 1500s but the relative tolerance that attracted them rapidly declined. Jews faced punitive taxation and some persecution from local rulers, but also enjoyed influence with Romania’s Ottoman overlords.
The centuries that followed brought mixed fortunes for the Jewish community in the emerging Romania. Cossack rampages targeted Jews, while blood libels led to mob violence and massacres. The Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812 brought more suffering and violence which continued intermittently throughout the century. There was a period of gradual integration and incremental tolerance following the Treaty of Berlin, but anti-Semitism was never far below the surface.
In the 1930s Romania teetered on the brink of the abyss, until a fascist coup d’etat and Soviet aggression led to a military alliance with Germany. Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu participated in the Holocaust with brutal enthusiasm and an estimated 400,000 Jews were murdered. Romanian Jews endured great hardships throughout their history – a suffering that is not as well-known as that of other European Jews – but developed great resilience, creativity and ingenuity as a consequence. Today’s Romanian Jewish community is small, numbering less than 5,000, but it preserves the old Jewish culture of Romania and welcomes tourists who want to learn more about the country and its history.
Top Jewish Heritage Sites in Romania
Jewish heritage tours to Romania usually begin in the capital Bucharest, once home to the country’s largest Jewish population. Bucharest’s old Jewish quarter was largely destroyed during the war, and then by post war communist demolitions, but some important Jewish cultural treasures still remain.
Bucharest’s Choral Temple and Great Synagogue is a superb example of 19th century Moorish Revival architecture and is one of Bucharest’s most beautiful buildings. The synagogue was completed in 1866 and served the city’s Ashkenazi community until it was devastated by thugs from Antonescu’s Iron Guard in 1941. It was rebuilt after the war and refurbished in 2015. The Choral Temple still hosts services and has a small but loyal congregation. Visitors are welcome in the synagogue and Gil Travel can arrange a private guided tour or the chance to attend Shabbat services.
The Jewish State Theater – Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat
Theatre lovers (and Yiddish language enthusiasts) will find the State Jewish Theatre an exciting place to visit. It’s the oldest Yiddish theater in the world and one of the very few that is still active. The theatre regularly performs Jewish-themed plays and is an important contributor to the preservation and revival of the Yiddish language. It is also a focal point of modern Jewish culture in Romania and performs a valuable role in bringing Jewish culture to a wider audience, including non-Jewish Romanians. A customized Jewish heritage tour of Romania can include a private guided tour of the theatre and a chance to meet actors and theatre staff, as well as watching plays.
Iași’s Great Synagogue and Holocaust Museum.
The Great Synagogue of Iași (Sinagoga Mare din Iași) is Romania’s most important connection to its deeper Jewish past. The Baroque style building dates back to 1671 and is the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. The town of Iași is in the very east of Romania, almost on the Moldovan border and was the scene of an horrific pogrom in 1941 where government forces murdered over 13,000 Jews. Today there are just a few hundred Jews in Iași and the Great Synagogue meets their spiritual needs (alongside another smaller synagogue). Guests are welcome in the Great Synagogue and you should make a point of visiting the small museum located in the Women’s Gallery.
Three Other Must-See Sites in Romania
Romania is an amazing country and there is a lot to see apart from Jewish heritage sites and memorials. One of Romania’s most dramatic cultural icons was created by an Irish writer called Bram Stoker. He reworked local mythology to create the vampire Count Dracula. Bran Castle in Transylvania is known as Dracula’s Castle and the spectacular hilltop fortress attracts visitors from around the world. You’re unlikely to meet any vampires, but the 14th century Bran Castle is an excellent excursion, particularly if your group includes kids. Gil Travel can arrange chauffeured trips to the castle with private guides.
Transylvania’s Countryside
Transylvania was traditionally a wild and remote region of forests and mountains and still contains many picturesque villages and fortified churches, as well as a number of Romania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The modern region is rich in historical sites and is a wonderful place to explore. There are excellent hiking tours (that are age and ability level appropriate) as well as 4×4 trips. Excursions to sites like the Black Church and Hunyad Castle, and walking tours of medieval towns like Sighișoara (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are a window into Transylvania’s turbulent history.
Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest definitely doesn’t fall into the category of architectural elegance or beauty, but it is one of the world’s must-see buildings. The Palace was built as an expression of communist grandeur and is imposing to the point where it completely dominates its surroundings. Although the design is broadly neoclassical, there is a cold and brutal feel to the architecture that reflected the totalitarian ethos of the post war communist regime. In the United States, only the Pentagon building is larger than Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament.
Plan a Luxury Kosher Tour of Romania
Gil Travel has years of experience organizing tailored Kosher tours that combine a deep exploration of Romania’s Jewish heritage with the chance to explore a variety of other cultural and historical sites, or to connect with nature in the country’s beautiful mountains and forests.
A customized tour of Romania offers luxury amenities and a flexible itinerary that can include meetings with interesting members of Romania’s Jewish community and private, guided visits to places like the Iasi synagogue and Bucharest Jewish quarter with opportunities to meet local experts, receive behind the scenes tours, and gain insights that most tourists never experience. Talk to Gil Travel today about a trip to Romania, or even a wider Jewish heritage tour of Eastern Europe.
Questions and Answers:
Can you visit the Jewish Museum in Bucharest?
Yes, it’s located inside the Holy Union Temple and open to visitors. A private guided tour of the remains of the Bucharest Jewish quarter can include a visit to the museum.
How many Jews live in Romania today?
Depending upon who you consider to be Jewish, there are between 3,000–5,000 Jews in Romania today, mostly in Bucharest. Most of the Jews who survived the Holocaust subsequently emigrated.
Did Romania protect its Jewish population during WWII?
The Romanian dictatorship was fanatically hostile to Jews and was responsible for pogroms and mass deportations. The government was as culpable as the Nazis in the implementation of the Holocaust and many Romanians supported their actions. Other Romanians, including Helen of Greece and Denmark (the Romanian Queen Mother) risked their lives to protect their Jewish fellow citizens.
Is Romania safe for American Jewish travelers?
Yes, the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Romania is a modern European country that makes active efforts to preserve Jewish heritage. Many Israelis of Romanian origin visit the country to explore the towns where their ancestors lived and American Jews will receive an equally warm welcome.
