The first Jewish families settled in Sárospatak at the end of the 18th century. The census of 1762 mentions two families, both of Galician descent. Jews from Galicia were Orthodox, whereas Silesians, arriving a bit later in the 19th century belonged to the more progressive “neolog” denomination. In 1930, there were close to 2000 Jewish inhabitants in Sárospatak. The activities of Jewish craftspeople, merchants and teachers had a significant impact on the town’s development. The Holocaust put an end to this well-functioning process. The town commemorates its Jewish past through the transformed synagogue, the mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) and the cemetery.

The synagogue of Sárospatak
(Sárospatak, Rákóczi Ferenc u. 45.)
The synagogue was built in 1864, it functions as a department store since its reconstruction in the 1960’s. There is an old photo on the facade of the building commemorating the Jewish temple.

The former mikveh (ritual bath)
(Sárospatak, Szent Erzsébet u. 1.)
The former mikveh is a sacred building and monument. A store operates here at present. The building has its own well, and it is awaiting reconstruction. There is a plaque on the wall in memory of the Jewish victims, it was placed there in 2008.

The Jewish cemetery of Sárospatak
(Sárospatak, Arany J. u. 13.)
The oldest grave in the Jewish cemetery is from 1779, around the time when the Jewish community was established in the town. The orthodox cemetery is an authentic memento of a disappeared culture, the burial customs of the local Jewish community. The grave of chief Rabbi Fülöp Fisher can be found in this cemetery.

Sources:
Zsidó közösségi épületek Sárospatakon – Gazda Anikó rekonstrukciós vázlata, 1989.
Dr. Kovács Áron; Zsidó örökségek megújítása; Hegyalja TV Youtube /2022./
Városi Béláné: Zsidók Sárospatakon in Restancia. Független zsidó tudományos folyóirat (/2020. 10. 25)
Zsidó fürdő – www.muemlekem.hu
www.csodarabbikutja.hu
Photos:
Juhász István
Wikipédia
Hegyalja TV