“Dafka Judaism”

By Dr. Stuart Fischman

“Dafka” is an interesting and challenging word in Modern Hebrew. For several years, my wife, Jane, and I have been trying to find an acceptable translation, but it has eluded us. The closest we have come is “because of”, as well as “in spite of”.

We had the pleasure and privilege of participating in the recent Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo Mission to Prague and Budapest. It was a most fascinating and enlightening experience for all of the participants. As I recount our travels, it will become apparent how the word “dafka” applies to the Jewish sights in these two cities.
Our scholar-in-residence was Shalmi Barmore, an Israeli with whom Jane studied at Yad Vashem several years ago. He is not only a true scholar, but also an excellent guide and superb raconteur! His insightful comments added to our understanding of the Jewish communities of the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Prague


Prague is a most beautiful city. Before the Holocaust, it was one of the most important centers of Jewish Europe. Among the famous scholars was the Maharal (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel) who created the mystical Golem. Dafka, the Golem protected the Jewish community and it prospered until the eve of the Second World War. Beautiful synagogues have been preserved and beckon the tourist and pilgrim. The Golem still watches over the ancient cemetery where his creator rests.

Chamberlain promised “peace in our time” and, dafka, the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia. It is generally accepted that Jews were 20% of the pre-war population of Prague and numbered 55,000. The Jews considered themselves Czechs and, upon request, they registered with the authorities. Eventually, the Jews living in Czechoslovakia were rounded up and concentrated in Prague. Seventy four thousand were imprisoned in Terezin, called the “waiting room to Hell”. Our visit to Terezin was an important part of the mission. It was a gray, cold day, consistent with the ambiance. Our brethren died of disease and work induced exhaustion, or were sent to death camps. Kaddish yatun was recited; may their memory always be for a blessing! The appalling conditions are well presented at Yad Vashem and other Holocaust memorials. At the end of the War, about 13,000 Jews remained in Czechoslovakia.

Dafka, Communism arrived and those left behind the Iron Curtain could neither emigrate nor live as Jews. Many Jews learned of their identity only after the 1989 collapse of Communism. About 1,000 Jews are said to remain in Prague. We met in the old Jewish Town Hall (now called Beit Praha), which serves as a cultural center. This represents an alternative to the traditional community center and many of the post-World War II participants are not Halachic Jews. They are remnants of a community which endured 9 years of Nazis and 40 years of Communists—dafka, they are Jewish!


Budapest


The Jewish population of Hungary is stated to be the third largest in Europe, after England and France. Budapest has Eastern Europe’s largest community (80,000).
In 1941, 184,000 Jews lived in Budapest. Since Hungary was allied with Germany, occupation did not begin until March 1944. Adolph Eichmann organized a ghetto and planned to deport 200,000 Hungarian Jews to death camps. Raoul Wallenberg (z’l) issued Swedish identify cards to 100,000 Jews, saving them from extermination camps. A monument recognizes his activities and we paid homage there. The Hungarian fascist party, Arrow Cross, carried out vicious attacks against the Jews. We said Kaddish yatun, again, at the site on the Danube where Jews were tied together and thrown into the river. Dafka, nearly 50% of Budapest’s Jews perished in the Holocaust.

The Jewish community in contemporary Budapest was a source of inspiration! The Dohany Street synagogue is the largest in Europe and a magnificent place to daven. We were fortunate to have the Hazzan, Emil Toth, host our visit. He noted that all prayers are of equal value before Hashem and that only one melody exists for the Kol Nidre, as we all ask Hashem’s compassion as we atone as a community on Yom Kippur. As he favored us with renditions of Kol Nidre, Shechechayanu and Oseh Shalom, in traditional Ashkenazic nusach, my mind (and my eyes) were with the voices of my grandparents and my early teachers. Dafka, we heard those melodies again, in freedom!

Jewish pluralism also prospers in Budapest. The community is about 80% Neolog—an interesting admixture of Conservative and Reform traditions. The remainder are Orthodox. The Neolog community supports the Rabbinical Seminary of Budapest, part of the Jewish University.

The Ronald Lauder Foundation, along with the Joint Distribution Committee, has been instrumental in supporting the renaissance of the Budapest Jewish community. A youth camp has been established and a representative of “The Joint” described the program and her experiences in detail. Campers are from several countries in Central and Eastern Europe and several languages are spoken. One aim of the camp is to mix youth of various countries into a unique Jewish experience. For many, it is their first Jewish experience! Counselors are from Israel and Hungary and 500 youth participate in 12-day sessions. The camp has been in existence for 15 years and is a most successful enterprise. We heard “testimony” from former campers and counselors at numerous venues during our mission.

We spent a memorable Friday morning at the Lauder Javne Jewish Community School in Budapest. The Principal, Dr. Anna Szeszler and the Director of International Relations, Linda Lantai, were our hostesses. The school is 15 years old and housed in a magnificent facility with all modern educational amenities. Enrollment is growing steadily and graduates readily enter the most prestigious collegiate programs. As we toured the school, we noted students of all ages preparing for Shabbat. To my eyes, the sight of primary school children “benching licht” and “saying ha-motzi” was memorable. Dafka, there is a future for Judaism in Hungary!

A common theme in speaking with Hungarian Jews was the unique way they learned of their religious heritage. Many were descendants of Holocaust survivors, who either hid themselves or their religion from the Nazis and Arrow Cross fascists. All were forbidden to practice religion during the Communist era. When the Havel government was installed, religious freedom slowly evolved. With great temerity, latent Jewish identity was acknowledged. Tales of a parent sitting a child down and saying, “I have something to talk about with you…” were often related to us. Upon being told of their Jewish heritage, the youngsters were enrolled in the Lauder summer camp, sharing this “revelation” with other campers and beginning their “neglected” Jewish education. In many cases, only one parent, or a grandparent, was Jewish. They may not be Halachic Jews, but to coin a phrase they are “Dafka Jews”! They are the halutzim, the pioneers, of a rebirth of our religion in Europe. They are the defeaters of Nazism and atheistic Communism.

Friday evening we were privileged to daven Kabbala Shabbat at the synagogue of the Jewish University. My ears (and eyes) lit up when I heard Hazzan Emil Toth begin “Shalom Aleichem” to a full house, albeit a modest sanctuary. It was both a mitzvah and pleasure to welcome the Sabbath bride with fellow Jews in this traditional setting.

A brief D’var Torah was given at the Oneg Shabbat. The young man spoke about the parsha, Noah. A few thoughts came to my mind as he recited his commentary. The Jews we met in Prague and Budapest were survivors of the “flood” of oppression that dimmed the enlightenment of the end of the twentieth century. As Noah sent out doves to ascertain his proximity to dry land, we, on this mission, set out to find not the remnants, but the rebirth, of Judaism in Central and Eastern Europe. We are taught that Noah was a “righteous man for his time”—in many ways, not perfect. The people that we met may have been Dafka Jews, rather than Halachic Jews, but their descendants will “people the earth” and make Judaism stronger!

The Jewish communities of the two cities differ widely. Prague has beautiful synagogues and an historic cemetery. Terezin is a memorial to the evils of the Nazis and the neglect of the Nazi peril by the “civilized” world. It is “alive” with Jewish tourism. Budapest is different. Thanks to Wallenberg and his colleagues, Jews remained in Hungary. Youth are learning of their roots, after the confinement of Communism. The Lauder camp and school are vibrant examples that “am Yisroel chai”—the people of Israel live!


It was a pleasure and privilege to be on this mission and to learn from and with Shalmi, our friend, guide, and scholar-in-residence. The opinions in this article are mine, as are any inaccuracies in fact and history, for which I accept full responsibility.