“Today there isn’t a single Jew here,” says Pavol Hudak, 59, an engineer and resident of the picturesque medieval town. He and his son Peter, 31, a historian who wrote his doctoral thesis on the Jewish community of Bardejov, have led a project to preserve and restore the synagogue over the past few years. The work, which began in 2015, was completed a few months ago.
“We succeeded in preserving the stones, the bricks and the wood,” Hudak says proudly. “We’ve also preserved the story of the place.” He then points to the old sundial that was discovered on the façade of the building during the restoration work and is no longer used. “There isn’t anyone left to hold prayers at their proper time,” he adds. [...]
The synagogue restoration was completed in April; it cost 765,000 euros ($917,500) and was funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Slovakia. The question that remains is what will become of the building in the absence of a local Jewish community.
For now, the synagogue serves as a museum and memorial to the Jewish life that was eradicated in Bardejov. Groups from all over the world, including from Israel, visit the site and get a guided tour from one of the Hudaks, who give them on a fully voluntary basis. The two hope to eventually establish an education center and enliven the place by holding cultural activities there.
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