Novi Sad: Concert @ the Synagogue

The highlight of today’s included tour was the concert at the Novosadska Synagogue.

Between 1749 and 1906 four synagogues stood on the same spot, the first three replacing the one before it. The fourth one was damaged during the Serbian Uprising of 1849, necessitating the construction of the current synagogue between 1905-1909. The Hungarian architect responsible for this synagogue, chose to design a monumental building in the Hungarian Secession style … with elements of eclecticism and art nouveau. The dome, which is 130 feet high, is inspired by the Renaissance.

Re-consecrated in 1945, the synagogue served as a place of worship until 1966. Since 2012, however, it is being used as a cultural center for concerts, performances, and special celebrations.

From what I understood from our guide, there are currently some 640 Jewish people in Novi Sad … down from 4,000 prior to the Holocaust. Records indicate that in the 1940s, Jews were not only imprisoned at the synagogue, they were also deported from here to the Nazi death camps. The current population, therefore, do not identify themselves as Jews for fear that history could repeat itself.

When we arrived at the synagogue, we found it jam-packed with people waiting for the doors to open. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces, so I don’t think this was a private concert organized by Viking.

Once inside, our guides directed us to the pews set aside for each group. I opted to stand at the back so that I could take photos and catch snippets of the concert on video without bothering anyone.

The concert featured the Trio Maya — consisting of two musicians … one playing the violin; the other the viola … and a soloist. The music included traditional songs — such as “Shoshana,” which the program described as an old Jewish song about a woman’s ecstasy — and also a number of popular songs, including John Williams’s theme song from “Schindler’s List; “If I Were A Rich Man” from “Fiddler on the Roof;” and the Jewish folk song, “Hava Nagila,” written in 1918 and traditionally sung at celebrations and weddings.

A beautiful concert in a lovely setting.Read more