The Medias Synagogue

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Building Restoration and Learning Centre

The town of Medias lies in the centre of southern Transylvania, northwest of Brasov, northeast of Sibiu, just west of the medieval fortress of Sighisoara. Itself one of the seven original fortress cities after which the Saxon-settlers came to call Transylvania – Siebenbürgen, Seven Fortresses – the small town of 50,000 has a rich cultural and architectural heritage.


Medias Synagogue                                                
 
Built in 1896 and together with the surrounding property, the synagogue represented the crux of Jewish life in Medias. The Rabbi’s house, community offices, Jewish school and Mikvah, the ritual baths, were all located on this property, which borders the former medieval walls. The Jewish community survived the war but immigrated to Israel in droves during the 50s and 60s. No services have been held for about 20 years and the building has remained closed to the public. Plans include high-quality restoration and installation of learning centre, cultural events program and exchanges with other European research institutes and museums.

Project Aims and Objectives
The restoration project aims not only to restore the building, but, also, of equal or even greater importance, to create a centre for local schools and communities to learn about Jewish history, religion and culture.

The Synagogue's unrestored interior.                                                   
(Photos: Christian Binder)

Unfortunately since knowledge of Jewish-Romanian history is almost obliterated here, century-old superstitions and anti-Semitic attitudes, including “teachings” from the libellous “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” are sometimes still passed from generation to generation. The Medias Synagogue Learning Centre will provide information about Judaism and the history of the once thriving Romanian Jewish community in a modern-day format. Children and adults will learn about Jewish holidays and traditions and be given an overview of the 5,000 year old religion, while being reminded of its relevance today for communities across the globe. The balcony area will be used for film screenings, lectures, seminars and temporary exhibitions. There will also be a section on Jewish music, religious and folkloric, and a section devoted to local Medias Jewish history, a continuously-developing exhibition which will grow as more information is gathered, both from former members living abroad and as a result of research based on newly-discovered archival documents.
Finally, The Medias Synagogue aims to be a “best practice” model, on the basis of which other communities around the country can develop educational programmes oriented to their own specific needs and history.

Please check back regularly for more information as the project develops. If you are interested in learning more or supporting the project financially, please write to:
synagogues@mihaieminescutrust.org / or call +40 (0) 741 473 380

Are you originally from Medias and interested in helping us develop the contents of the historical exhibition? Please write to us:
synagogues@mihaieminescutrust.org

For brochure including more detailed historical and architectural information, see:
PDF - Medias Synagogue

More synagogue photos (slide show), see:  
Christian Binder 

For full summary of events, see:
Medias Synagogue Restoration

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© Mihai Eminescu Trust 2002