I visited an exhibition of international posters while in Trnava. This synagogue, which now functions as an art gallery, was one of the venues.I was a bit shocked by the poor condition of the synagogue. Of course, I've read about many of the old synagogues of Central Europe either totally destroyed or used to house equipment during Communism. This building from what I understand was almost totally lost because of water damage and lack of repair. However, some bit of money must have been invested to keep it afloat.
Not only was the poor condition of the synagogue kind of startling, but I was also a bit shocked by some of the museum's explanations regarding the few Jewish artifacts it had on display. Namely, when you entered the museum there was a plaque noting that several Jews were accused of 'blood libel' and summarily killed. Blood libel is a charge dating back to the middle ages alleging that Jews kidnapped Christian children and used their blood for rituals. Having studied Jewish history in Central Europe as well as anti-semitism through the ages, I have read about this accusation, but somehow this mention on the plaque hit closer to home. My good friend Hanka, a Slovak, has shared that anti-semitism was very ripe in Slovakia. Sometimes coming face to face with history is an unpleasant, uncomfortable encounter.
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