The split within the Jewish community of Nagyvárad after the Hungarian Jewish Congress (1868–69). The creation of the status quo ante community

ABSTRACT

The Congress did not solve the internal conflicts of the Jewish community of Nagyvárad (today Oradea, Romania). On the contrary, divergences between the two parties only deepened. The debate revolved around the issue whether to accept the statutes established by the Congress. In this paper, I will outline the history of status quo ante community in Nagyvárad, based on documents I found at the Bihor County Branch of the Romanian National Archives. I will examine the circumstances and conflicts that led to the emergence of this community, the administrative process related to its establishment, and its dissolution.

KEYWORDS:

• Nagyvárad (Oradea) Jewry
• Neolog Jewish communities
• Orthodox Jewish communities
• status quo ante Jewish communities

Acknowledgments

I would like to say special thanks to Dr Tamás Turán for his help in improving the text.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Géza Komoróczy, A zsidók története Magyarországon [The history of the Jews in Hungary], vol. 2 (Pozsony: Kalligram, 2012), 144.

2. Teréz Mózes, Váradi zsidók [The Jews from Várad] (Nagyvárad: Literator Kiadó, 1995), 85.

3. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 86; Lajos Lakos, A váradi zsidóság története [The history of Várad Jewry] (Nagyvárad, 1912), 165–6.

4. Viktor Faragó, “A nagyváradi nyugati szertartásu (kongresszusi) izr. hitközség tőrténete” [The history of the Israelite community of occidental (congressional) rite from Nagyvárad] II, A XXI. Izr. Községkerület Hitközségeinek Értesitője (Nagyvárad: A Nyugati Szert. Kong. Izr. Hitközség Nagyváradon, 5703–1943), 4.

5. Várad-Váralja (one of the city’s quarters) is known to have been founded by Jews.

6. Várad-Újváros, Várad-Olaszi, Várad-Váralja, Várad-Velence.

7. Dezső Schön, “A nagyváradi zsidóság útja,” [The way of Nagyvárad Jewry] in A tegnap városa. A nagyváradi zsidóság emlékkönyve [The city from yesterday. A commemorative volume for Nagyvárad Jewry], ed. Dezső Schön et al. (Tel Aviv: A Nagyváradról Elszármazottak Egyesülete Izráelben, 1981), 62.

8. Howard Lupovitch, “Between Orthodox Judaism and Neology: The Origins of the Status Quo Movement,” Jewish Social Studies 9, no. 2 (2003): 123–53; http://www.holokausztmagyarorszagon.hu/index.php?section=1&chapter=1_2_2&type=content (accessed February 3, 2019).

9. Szonja Ráhel Komoróczy, Viktória Bányai, “Magyarországi zsidó vallási szervezetek, intézmények emlékezetpolitikája” [The politics of memory of Hungarian Jewish religious organizations and institutions], Regio 24, no. 3 (2016): 41.

10. Arhivele Naționale – Serviciul Județean Bihor, fond Primăria Oradea. Consiliul orășenesc [National Archives – Bihor County Branch, Fonds of the City Hall of Oradea. The Municipal Council] inv. 142 (henceforth: AN-SJBh, fond Primăria.), dos.9.

11. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 4–5; see Figure 3 below.

12. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 87.

13. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria. dos.9, f.40.

14. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 88; AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos. 9, f.39–52.

15. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.40v.

16. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.41.

17. “Napi újdonságok,” Nagyvárad 12, no. 60 (1881) (without pagination).

18. See Figure 1 below.

19. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.35.

20. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.35 v.

21. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.36.

22. Hermann Held, Jakab Weinberger, József Robitsek, Salamon Áron, Mór Siegfried, József Izrael, Mór Pollák, Ignácz Klein, Mór Hartmann (AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.36).

23. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f.36 v–37 v.

24. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 88; AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos. 9, f. 71.

25. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 88; AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos. 9, f. 75–80.

26. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 88.

27. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 81.

28. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 81v. Gabella is the kosher food (particularly: meat) tax.

29. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 31v.

30. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 81v.

31. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 85.

32. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 87.

33. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 90–90v.

34. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 20–20v.

35. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 21.

36. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 22–22v.

37. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 62–62v.

38. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 14–17.

39. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 23.

40. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 60–60v.

41. See Figure 2 below.

42. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 88.

43. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.9, f. 59v.

44. Mózes, Váradi zsidók, 89.

45. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.32, f.1.

46. AN-SJBh, fond Primăria., dos.32, f.2.

47. Schön, “A nagyváradi zsidóság útja,” 62.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Edith-Emese Bodo

Edith-Emese Bodo is a lecturer at the University of Oradea, Faculty of History, International Relations, Political Sciences and Communication Sciences, Department of History. Her fields of research are the era of transition from the medieval to the modern period in Central Europe, and the history of the Jewish population of Nagyvárad (Oradea).