Budapest Series Volume 1: From Quarantine to Extermination in the Old Jewish Ghetto

EDITOR’S NOTE:

An excerpt from this postcard was originally published on social media on March 13.2017 during a trip to Eastern Europe. It wasn’t until five years later after the tyrannical lockdowns and quarantines that were placed on citizens globally that I realized the link between this story and what we have just experienced. Tyranny rarely begins with massacres and bloodshed; often it initially appears as overreach of power, isolation of people or people groups, and theft of constitutional rights until the target of those who lust for power are left weakened, desperate, ostracized, and alone. Once the citizens are vulnerable and defenseless, tyranny will lay hold of its final claim after crushing the mind and soul of those it deems unworthy of life. To those who hold such evil in their hearts, the killing of the physical body and the extermination of an entire people group is the final step in their demonic search for complete control.

While the story of the Jews in Budapest took place 80 years ago, the parallels of quarantine and tyranny to our recent pandemic era are hauntingly similar. It is the same vileness, the same evil, and the same spirit; it is simply a different generation. Had it not been for the praying Church, could not these same greedy acts of power have resulted in similar atrocities? May we as Christians continue to remain vigilant in prayer, in faith, and in our boldness to withstand tyranny at all costs.

Location: The Old Jewish Ghetto, Budapest, Hungary

Photo credit: Mica Olinghouse

This afternoon we visited the historic Jewish quarter in Budapest. While there are many such districts all across Europe, the one here is significant because it was one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe prior to World War II. It was also the area where many Jews were killed en masse in 1945 right before the end of the war. It is reported that over 600,000 Budapest Jewish residents were murdered from 1944-1945.

During our tour, we stopped by three synagogues, viewed a few memorials, and walked the streets of the Jewish ghetto. It was an interesting experience and marks the third Jewish district we've visited in the last five months. (The other two were in Brooklyn and Prague.)

Interestingly enough, as the Nazis began their siege of the Jewish Ghetto, they didn’t eliminate them right away. Rather, they wore them down little by little, stripping away their rights, their freedom, and their mobility. They even restricted their movement by quarantining them in their own neighborhoods. To ensure their captivity, the Nazis erected a large stone wall that encircled the Jewish Quarter. This structure was a physical barrier that segregated the Jews from their non-Jewish Budapest neighbors. It kept the Jews isolated and alone, obstructing anyone from coming in or going out and eventually imprisoning the Jewish people in their own homes and neighborhoods.

*Remnants of the old stone wall the Nazis built to quarantine the Jews in the Budapest Jewish Ghetto*

As we continued our tour of the Ghetto, we passed by The Dohany Street Synagogue and entered a beautiful courtyard filled with stately trees and lush green plants. At second glance, we noticed hundreds of grave markers surrounding the raised garden beds. We soon realized this was no ordinary courtyard, but rather a Jewish graveyard.

This stop turned out to be the most moving part of our tour as our guide explained the significance of this particular site and the horrific events that occurred here during the war. On the day of Hungarian Jewish liberation in 1945, this courtyard was filled with over 2000 dead bodies of Jews who were just murdered by the Nazis before the Allies could reach them. According to Jewish tradition, the bodies had to be buried within 72 hours, so they buried them all in these 22 mass graves. Over time, this cemetery has turned into a memorial dedicated to the some of the last Jews who lost their lives in World War II.

Mass Jewish Grave Courtyard Budapest. — *The Dohany Street Synagogue Courtyard & Mass Graveyard*

While our tour today was sobering, we take heart in the valuable lessons learned at the Budapest Jewish Ghetto. Sadly, the indoctrination of an entire generation allowed innocent people to be ostracized, weakened, executed, and exterminated. Because good men stood on the sidelines and refused to address the atrocities going on around them everyday, millions lost their lives at the hands of evil people. May we always remember that silence is never our friend when it comes to to the plots and plans of wicked, evil men. We must find the courage to speak up for our neighbor, to shine the light in the darkness, and to overcome evil with good.

Jewish Memorial Tree Budapest — *This aluminum tree is another memorial dedicated to all the Jews of Budapest who lost their lives during the war. The little silver leaves are engraved with the names of the deceased.*

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