Preface The publication Novi Sad, An Overview of The Jevvish Cul- tural Heritage is the first опе of its kind. Ву writing it we vvanted to highlight the impact the Jewry from Novi Sad made while shap- ing the city’s urban and cultural соге. The buildings, streets, monu- ments and sights, hovvever, are just as important as the people who built them and who kept the Jevvish Community together. Over the centuries, Novi Sad along with its Jews had more troublesome than peaceful times, but just like their city, the Jews survived and managed to prosper. TONS, the City’s Tourist Information Centre has supported us in representing the Jevvish Community as a дгоир of individuals made of flesh and blood who, in spite of саггуing the heavy burden of the Holocaust, still have a clear vision while living in harmony with all the other ethnic and cultural groups in Novi Sad. Goran Levi, B.Sc. President of the Jevvish Community HISTORY THE HISTORY OF пате we соте across in the THE JEVVISH archives is the name of Markus Philip and three other families. PEOPLE IN THE Back in 1690 the Jews were VOJVODINA forbidden to live in the bigger REGION AND cities, and over the years that THE CITY OF follovved, they were also forbid- NOVI SAD den to practice certain crafts like making jewelry, stamps, seals According to certain assump- or to get engaged in soap-boil- tions, Jews lived in Vojvodina ing, scrap-iron dealing and to in the centuries even before cultivate the land. These sanc- Christ. The first vvritten records tions forced the Jews to take up on Jews in the Vojvodina агеа other occupations for a living, and Petrovaradin, however, such as for example peddling, date back to the seventeenth breeding livestock, while some century, when they are men- of them made a living by play- tioned as military suppliers. Af- ing the flute for топеу across ter settling down in Racko Selo Austro-Hungarian cities. A law village back in 1693 (which from follovved soon after that restrict- 1748 on was gradually growing ing the number of marriages for to become Novi Sad), the Jews Jewish people within a family Familie-tatengesetz“ (This law״- built a synagogue and had their own graveyard. The first family allowed just one male member ־ of a Jewish fa mily to legal ly mar- population in Vojvodina en- ry). This law was passed during joyed, meaning that the Jews fi- the rule of Carlo the Third, and nally could study at Universities forced тапу Jewish families to and were allovved to practice all migrate tovvards the southern kinds of crafts and occupations. parts of the Austro-Hungarian As a result, there were тапу Мопагсћу (Vojvodina) very more Jewish military officers, scarcely populated at that time. bankers, lawyers and judges. Ву the middle of the eighteenth After the WWI, vvithin the King- century, the Jews that were liv- dom of Serbs, Croats and Slo- ing in the Austro-Hungarian veriians and later, in The King- МопагсИу were obliged to рау dom of Yugoslavia, the Jews numerous taxes to the crown, from Novi Sad went through such as the tolerance tax (mal- a real renaissance in the агеа kengeld = The Oueen’s топеу), of culture as a consequence and the obligatory use of the of- of the higher standard of living ficial language in the Monarchy that follovved. Several sport and instead of Hebrew was imposed cultural societies were founded, them. The Jews were obliged a Jewish community center was חס to speak German only and to built, two Jewish choirs were change their names into Ger- set up (Hazamer and Hashira) man. Despite these restrictions, and several Jevvish newspapers the Jews enjoyed some benefits were launched. In the winter as well, such as free education of 1939 тоге and more anti- at elementary and secondary schools and practicing the arts. In 1848 Novi Sad and its citi- zens were fiercely struck upon during the Riot (1848-1849). In June of 1849, a cannonade from the Petrovaradin Fortress ruined the majority of the buildings in the city, among which were the Synagogue, the hospital and the Jewish соттипИу building. Dur- ing the Riot some anti-Semitic crimes occurred. As a result of the truce that came about, the rights of the Jews were made egual with those the rest of the Semitic voices could be heard in Auschvvitz. After the WWII the that resulted in fewer number numberof JewsinVojvodina has of Jews in the city’s cultural and d rastically decreased. According public life. In 1941 Novi Sad fell to the census from 1946, there underthe occupation of the Hun- were only 3729 Jews. Those garian агту, and Jews in the city who survived the death camps faced the Holocaust. Between and captivity mostly settled the 21 st and the 23rd of Janu- down in the bigger cities, where агу the occupational forces car- Jewish communities operated. ried out a three day raid, during Мапу of them, however, will which 1200 people were killed, soon leave their homes and go among them Jews, Serbs and to the newly founded State of Is- members of other ethnic groups rael, where they will try to build as well. Most of the victims were new homes and lives and forget throvvn into the icy winter wa- the horrors of the Holocaust. ters of the river Danube, others Nowadays, the Novi Sad Jewish were shot and executed in their community counts about 650 homes or in the streets. What members. The synagogue, the had remained from the Novi community building, the cem- Sad Jewry were closed up in the etery and тапу more sights and Synagogue in 1944 and deport- buildings are testimonies of the ed to Nazi death camps. Most of past, the life and culture con- them suffered torture and died nected to the Jewry of the city. ARCHITECTURE ТНЕ SVMAGOGUE (9, Jevrejska Street) The synagogue in Novi Sad is a I kol haamim’ meaning: Let this shining example of the Seces- house be the home of prayerof all sion (Art Nouveau) architecture nations. The interior of the syna- in Vojvodina. The word ‘syna- gogue consists of the benches gogue’ actually comes from the in the ground floor which is a Greek word ‘sinagein’, which men only area, the gallery space literally means 'to gather’. The which is for women and the front building was designed by Li- stage with the Aron Hakodesh, pot Baumhorn, a Jewish archi- where the Torah Scrolls are tect from Budapest, one of the kept. The building was erected greatest Art Nouveau architects in 1906 as the fifth synagogue in this part of Europe. On the in the city, after the previous facade one can see a clas- one had been demolished dur- sic tripartite division which is a ing the bombings in 1849. With common construction principle the Jewish elementary school when it comes do designing on its left side and the Jewish synagogues. The two towers community building on the right by the entrance symbolize state side, the synagogue makes an and unity. In the central part of architectural complex. Back the front facade we can see the in 1944, it was here where the ТНЕ JEWISH COMMUNITV BUILDING (11, Jevrejska Street) The former Jewish community an official building. Before the building belongs to the syna- WWII it housed the flats used by gogue complex. It was built in rabbis and community officials. 1908, from the same construc- Today, just one part of this three tion material as the elementary story building with its backyard school and the synagogue, but is used by the Jewish commu- with less decorative details as nity, the rest are private apart- its purpose was to serve as ments. х 1 ״• кП11 kL■ '**'f■ J■1 ТНЕ JEW1SH ELEMENTARV SCHOOL BUILDING (7, Jevrejska Street) The Jewish elementary school got the rank of a public school, is also part of the synagogue called The elementary school complex. It was founded in in Futoska Street. After the 1802, and it actively operated raid, when the Hungarian агту up until 1942 . During this period murdered 1200 civilians, mostly the school was considered one Jewish and Serbian, the number of the best educational facilities of students at the school dras- in Novi Sad. It had very high tically decreased, so it couldn’t reputation not only among the function апутоге. Today, this local population, but also атопд building houses the elementary the authorities. Its reputation ballet school. was confirmed in 1921, when it ТНЕ SAVINGS BANK BUlLDiNG (7, Trg slobode) The Savings Bank building is rior. A massive fence used to be another masterpiece designed on the roof, which burned down by Lipot Baumhorn, erected in in a fire and was never restored. 1904 in a genuine secessionist The people of Novi Sad encoun- fashion, that is obvious by the tered the Hungarian Secession- the facade. The ist style for the first time when חס ornaments facade itself has тапу rich geo- they laid their eyes on this fan- metrical ornaments which, along tastic structure. with the terraces, make dynamic -the building’s exte חס changes MENRATH’S PALACE (14, Kralja Aleksandra Street) In the downtown of Novi Sad, one of the most beautiful seces- one of the most dominating sionist fagades in entire Vojvo- buildings is Menrath’s Palace, dina. The fundamental project built by Lipot Baumhom in 1908. of this object has two parts: the It was named after the Men- street part which is two stories raths, one of the best known high and is U-shaped, and the merchant families in Novi Sad, yard building which is one story who traded with furniture.