History
The old synagogue of Şimleu Silvaniei was erected in 1876. During the height of its use, the synagogue was used for worship and religious ceremonies by Jewish families from the City of Şimleu Silvaniei as well as surrounding villages such as Giurtelecu Şimleului and Nuşfalău. In May/June 1944, the area's Jewish population was forced out of their homes into the brutal Cehei ghetto and from there packed into cattle cars and transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over 160,000 Jews from the region perished. Of those few remaining Jews who survived the Holocaust and remained in Romania, the last Jewish family emigrated from the region during the mid-1960s, while the country was still under Communist rule. The loss of its congregation left the Synagogue to fate, decaying silently over time.
Through the inspiration of Mihaela Gross; then a local student, Adam Aaron Wapniak, a Brooklyn native and Architect, became interested in the abandoned synagogue's restoration on a 2003 visit, sparking the interest of Dr. Alex Hecht; a New York dentist and son of Holocaust survivors Zoltan and Stefania Hecht, who was born in the nearby village of Nuşfalău. Together, they launched a vigorous campaign driving the restoration project. Their efforts contributed to raising funds to complete construction, establishing educational criterion, and supported pedagogical training for the regional school systems. The Museum now functions as an educational hub and essential resource for Holocaust Education in the region. Guided tours tailored to students are offered daily, The museum centerpiece is the synagogue originally built in 1876.
Read more about this topic: Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum
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