The first Jewish community was established at the beginning of the 1800’s, building a synagogue by the middle of the century. Most members of the community were wine merchants. The town was one of the centers of hasidism thanks to Friedmaun Cvi Herschele (Cevi Hirsch), who was brought up in the house of Moses Teitelbaum in Sátoraljaújhely. Following Teitelbaum’s death, he transformed Olaszliszka into a center of Hasidism as a wonder rabbi. He taught one of the most famous wonder rabbis of the area, the Tzadik of Bodrogkeresztúr, Steiner Jesájá (Steiner Sáje). The community is commemorated by the memorial erected on the ruins of the former synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.

Olaszliszka synagogue memorial
(Olaszliszka, Kossuth Lajos utca 15.)
The synagogue was built in 1875 on the shore of the Bodrog river, with a capacity of 500 people. The death of wonder rabbi Reb Hersele gave way to the decline of the Jewish community, which ceased to exist completely after the deportations of World War II. The synagogue was in ruins. In 2015, an interactive memorial was built on the synagogue ruins, summoning the former building and commemorating the Jewry of Tokaj-Hegyalja. The newly constructed Western wall lists the names of the 63 families deported on April 14, 1944.

Olaszliszka Jewish cemetery
(Olaszliszka, Belsőkocsord utca 31.)
The cemetery is home to the ohel with the graves of wonder rabbis Cvi Hersele Friedmann and Hajim Friedlander. Thousands of pilgrims visit the cemetery each year.

Sources:
www.csodarabbikutja.hu
www.olaszliszka.hu
www.zsido.com
Faltöredékekből kibontakozó világok (2016. szeptember 16.)
Photo:
www.olaszliszka.hu
Juhász István