Sharon's Blog: Romania - Oradea, Satu Mare, & Sighetu Marmatiei

We left Cluj in our little white rental car and drove three hours northwest to the town on Oradea. We drove to the city center, and David turned the wrong way onto a small street where we discovered a lovely place, Hotel Maxim, our home for one night.
This city is on the border between Romania and Hungary. The Hungarian influence is strong and today about 20% of the population is Hungarian. Previously unknown to us, Oradea has a major Holocaust history and this soon became a major focus of our stop here. Before WWII, the population of Oradea was 90,000 and 30,000 of the residents were Jews. At one time there were 21 synagogues. Today, two remain – one Orthodox and one Neolog (a type of Reform Judaism from the Hungarians) and a major Romanian Jewish Community Center to keep the memory alive and to provide a place of learning and prayer for those who remain. The Jewish population contributed significantly to the culture of the city as most of the beautiful buildings were designed by Jewish architects.
So far, this part of our trip was the most moving and memorable as we learned that the decimation of the Jews from Oradea was second only to those from the Warsaw Ghetto. From 30,000 then to 700 Jews now, Oradea is a place of ghostlike memory for the Jews and for us too. The Neolog Synagogue sits along the river in great majesty and disrepair, its former glory covered with dust . The Orthodox Synagogue a few blocks away is currently under repair with the support of an American Jewish family, the Arnalls) and sits next to the Romanian Jewish Community Center where we spent time visiting and learning more about the Oradea Jews – past and present.
On to the next town in Transylvania, Satu Mare close to the border of Hungary. Here we stayed one night at Villa Bodi on the square of the town. This place, decorated in 18th century style, was once the home of a Jewish family before WW II. Again, we are in the midst of Holocaust history as we visit another synagogue and learn about the Jewish community of this town. Of 18,000 Jews, 80 remain and continue to keep Jewish memory alive in the community center and with daily worship.
We leave Satu Mare and head for the mountains. I say to David, “I’ve had enough now of synagogues and the Holocaust. “ My heart is sore. We are on the way to the region of Maramures and small Romanian villages in the mountains to relax. First stop - Sighetu Marmatiei, a town only 2 km from the Ukranian border. The road winds up into the mountains with many switchbacks. David hugs the road, and we climb through beautiful forests. Small villages appear with horse drawn carts on the road. This area is known for wood working, and we stop to see a wooden church under renovation and admire beautiful wooden gates in front of village homes. Along the way, we stop by the roadside to buy small strawberries from a local woman. See photo.
We are almost at Sighetu Marmatiei , and I take out the guide book for details. We learn that here was the home of Elie Wiesel and the place from which he was deported to the death camp. About 50,000 Jews or half of the town’s then population lived here before WWII. 38,000 perished. Today 200 Jews remain here. Even with the desire to give memory a rest, history and the Holocaust continue to surround us. We decide to stay at Casa Lurca, a hotel that is known for its wood-festooned rooms and excellent Romanian restaurant. Immediately we see that Casa Lurca is right next door to Wiesel’s house, a substantial home on the corner near the center of town. After checking in, we go to the car and while walking past Wiesel’s former home, raindrops begin to fall lightly. The tears of our hearts flow again as we step on the stones where so much pain and suffering occurred. Having visited the death camps, this is so different. Breathing the air and feeling the ground of the places where Jews lived full, productive, and rich lives absorbs us again. Their lives feel more present that past.