A Day of Religion

Romania is a country dotted with churches, mostly small and orthodox.  We spent our last morning in Braslov visiting houses of worship.

In 1495, when America was a startling conversation in Europe, the orthodox St. Nicholas Church was constructed. 

The walls are lined with painted frescos and silver icons but no interior pictures allowed.  Wooden chairs stand on the side for those who wish to sit.   Our guide, Christian, explained to us that the service is observed by a standing congregation but that anyone can enter or leave at will, thus not many chairs to sit in.

Next door to the church stands an old school filled with some of the earliest books printed in Romania.  Rita is ready for a lesson.

The school also contained the first printing press used in Romania which printed with wood block  instead of movable type.

After the church and school, we went to the Mauri Synagogue, built in 1899.

An Israeli mashgiach (caretaker) told us the history of Braslov’s Jewish community.  Once a congregation of 1000, today it has 270 members, but not for the reason we instinctively suppose.  The community of 1000 grew to 6000 during WWII because the townspeople refused to turn Jews over to the Nazis.  Instead, they hid and protected not only their own neighbors but also Jews from other communities.  What has diminished the community today is economics, most have moved away to Bucharest and to Israel. 

 

The synagogue is Sephardic (southern European) and decorated in white and blue.  Because of its small size, a visiting rabbi comes from Bucharest once a month.  There are only 9 children under the age of Bar Mitzvah (13).  It is orthodox and has a kosher restaurant next door.

Down the road was Strada Sfan, the narrowest street in Europe.


Today a Protestant church, the Black Church was built in 1383 as a Caholic Church.  It claims to be the largest Gothic church in Europe.

The walls are lined with oriental carpets, many of them Moslem prayer rugs.  Those with one point are the prayer rugs, two points are regular rugs.

We enjoyed a lunch of crab salad, stuffed cabbage, potatoes and gelato before returning to Bucharest.

Readers may have noted several superlatives in our description of places seen in Romania.  That seems to be a common claim and will reach a peak when we get to Bucharest.