The synagogue that rose out of its ashes

Sometimes life descends upon you, and you find yourself without an escape route, constantly thrashing around and engaging your reflex to stay alive.  You completely lose your faith, you want to leave, start over again far away from anyone.  Then a miracle happens. The just conscience of life intervenes, and just like that you have a fresh breath of air. Then life begins flowing again, maybe until another shortness of breath, maybe until the end of a different road.

26 March 2015 will go down in history as the day that this author and many Turkish Jews had a fresh breath of air. I am talking about the exemplary day on which the Edirne Large Synagogue re-opened after 32 years  - after it closed its doors to worship in 1983, and the divine sounds of the Shema, Kadish and other prayers that are symbolic of Judaism echoed around its walls. It was a very special day. Almost one thousand out of the 17 thousand Jews that lives in this huge nation had set out with as wish to witness that historic day…

Let us quickly look back on history:

After the official report that was published within several days of the June of 1934 that stated “The Jews are chasing the cause to make Thrace equal to Palestine” almost all of the Jews in Edirne were to immigrate to Istanbul following the violent protests and looting that occurred after the publication of the report. The population that numbered over 20 thousand was to be reduced to zero in almost 48 hours. The Edirne Synagogue that had services such a lively and dynamic community was never to witness such a crowd. After the last chazzans immigrated to Israel in 1969, the Synagogue that tried to stay running with a small congregation was to manage until 1983. After that date, the Synagogue would not move beyond a photograph of a dilapidated ruin that had been sketched into our memories. 

After all, a synagogue that was rising from its ashes was reopening for the first time in the history of the Republic on 26^th of March 2015; 32 years after the temple closed its doors completely.

The joy that overtook all of us was extraordinary! How else could it be explained? The answer was actually clear as day.

After all we were worn out from the alienation, the discrimination and the anti-Semitism in the media that became more prevalent every day. We had become Jews who proceeded along a dark tunnel, with our eyes hopelessly watching for the light at the end of that tunnel. However, life was full of miracles. When the President of the Turkish Jewish Community İbrahimzadeh said, “We have felt the need to make statements that we are loyal and productive citizens of this country every time we are faced with statements that paint us as enemies and traitors. We have been unable to escape this dead-end and we have become withdrawn. As a community we have lost our hope for the future. Now, the opening of the Edirne Synagogue today has been the best response by our state to these statements and these separations, it is a milestone for us” the fact that almost a thousand people gave him a standing ovation that lasted for minutes, was the sudden escape of this hopelessness and the pressure that this withdrawal had caused. It was almost as if it was the flag of the “silent” rebellion. They were in the right, they were fed up of being ridiculed, alienated every single day and from the diseased but never-ending state of mind that always identified “the Jew” behind every misfortune in life. They had exploded at the first opportunity with their innocent applause. Indeed the Deputy Prime Minister whom they gave a standing ovation to the moment he entered the synagogue and whom they respected was there. Of course, the Governor of Edirne who – even though he has later apologized – had equated them with Israel and had stated that he would ban the synagogue for worship was also there.  

What is more, when Bülent Arınç said “Whatever right a Muslim has in this country, a Jews and a Christian also has those rights” hundreds of people who were “in rebellion” gave him a joyous standing ovation.

It was as if they were in a dream. The pain and sadness of the last years was transforming into joy due to the dialectic law.

They had many expectations. They hopes at least that the differentiation between “Turks and Jews” that had been internalised by even those they had trusted the most, was no longer made…

However, the fact that the synagogue will remain closed after that amazing day due to a lack of a congregation will remain to be a separate pain.

The answer that the residents of the neighbouring buildings gave once I asked them “We are leaving you this glorious building, can you look after it” was beautiful: “Do not fear, we are here”…

I began breathing healthily once again.

Indeed, I believe hope was the only salvation of the poor in these lands…

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