Királyhelmec is located in the Bodrogköz region, now in Slovakia, approximately 90 kms from Košice. Its history dates back to the 12^th century. The first records of Jewish residents in the former district capital date from the mid-1700s. As elsewhere in the country, the initial settlers worked as tenant farmers.

The establishment of the Jewish community is dated to 1801, with Ábrahám Keller, DÁvid Keller, Nachum Rubin, Mór Steinfest, and Mór Zinner as its founders. Mordecháj Wald was elected as the first rabbi and led the congregation until his death in 1875. According to Elek Fényes, in 1850, out of 1,186 residents, 12 were Jewish. A yeshiva (Jewish religious school) operated in Királyhelmec from 1865. 14 smaller townships in the vicinity were also tied to the Királyhelmec congregation. By 1941, the Jewish population numbered around 900.

However, the spread of antisemitism eventually made its impact felt in Királyhelmec as well, and ultimately resulted in the rapid gathering and deportation of local Jews to the Sátoraljaújhely ghetto in May 1944. From there, they were transported to Auschwitz. Of the 971 deported community members, only 107 returned; most had been murdered in the death camps.

Királyhelmec lacks a specific memorial for its former sizable Jewish community, although the city’s war memorial does contain a reference to the “deported Jewish fellow citizens.” The orthodox synagogue and the Jewish cemetery, along with the region’s architectural peculiarities of houses with openable roofs, are all that is left of the architectural heritage.

The Királyhelmec orthodox synagogue
(Királyhelmec, Hviezdoslavova utca)

The synagogue’s date of construction and of its inauguration varies across available sources, mentioning the 1840s or alternately, 1851.

The synagogue, built in the neoclassical style, served the orthodox community. After World War II, survivors revitalized the synagogue, but the community dwindled. Due to the wave of emigrations around 1956, the community had shrunk significantly by the 1960s. The last religious ceremony in the orthodox synagogue occurred in 1968. The continuing flow of emigration resulted in the end of the congregation. Today, only a few Jewish families remain in the town.

Formerly, their used to be a Hasidic synagogue as well, right next to the orthodox one, but it was completely obliterated by a fire caused by a lightning bolt in the 1950s.

The idea of renovation of the orthodox synagogue has resurfaced several times over the last few decades. The building along with the land it’s built on was acquired by the municipality in 2015 for 6000 euros, and plans include converting it into a cultural centre. Currently, the building is not open to the public.

PHOTOS:

1., 2., 3.: The façade and interior of the Királyhelmec synagogue.
4. Photo by László Szeder.
5. The interior of the Királyhelmec synagogue.
6. Source
7. The Királyhelmec synagogue.

The Királyhelmec Jewish Cemetery
(Királyhelmec, Hlboká utca 33.)

The Jewish cemetery was active from the early 18^th century until the 1970s. As of now, 228 tombstones have been documented, and the archival process is ongoing thanks to the work of local historian Bertalan Gönczy. He plans to make the history of the once vibrant Jewish community available to the public in book form.

Houses with convertible roofs

The significant period in the Jewish calendar is the autumn “Sukkot” or “Feast of Tabernacles.” During this time, Jews commemorate the desert wanderings when they didn’t have permanent residence. According to religious traditions, temporary booths or “tents” made of plants must be constructed with roofs through which one can see the starry sky. During the festival, people dine there, entertain guests there, and some even sleep there. Due to the cooler weather, a unique architectural feature spread in this region, which originated in Poland: houses with roofs that can be opened. These houses, built with moving elements incorporated into the roof structure, allowed the house to be converted temporarily into the kind of “tent” that was specified by religious tradition, and therefore assisted the Jewish community in observing the commandments related to “Sukkot” in a practical fashion. In essence, it meant the residents did not have to build new tents every year, and the houses even insulated heat better. The convertible houses thus led to the tradition of living in one’s own “tree-tent.” Bertalan Gönczy, a local historian, states that only four of these houses remain in the town. Anna Gábor, a researcher in the field, also cites several examples of such architecture in her book.

PHOTOS

House with convertible roof.