There were several Jewish communities in Timișoara, because there were roughly 12,000 Jews living in the city. It is quite a large number. After 1860, when the Jewish Congress, a significant gathering, took place in Budapest, the splitting of the churches began. Orthodox communities were then established; they strictly held the Jewish traditions and also modernized Neolog communities. There were Neolog Jews and Orthodox Jews. There were Orthodox Jewish communities in the Fabric district, on Ion Creangă Street; there was a proper Jewish neighbourhood - one can still see the remains. [...] Another Jewish community, also Orthodox, was in the Iosefin neighborhood, based on Reşiţei Street, where the 1910-built synagogue is also placed. Along with the Orthodox on Ecaterina Teodoroiu Street, there was also a community of Spanish Jews in Fabric. It was a form of separatism. They followed their rites brought from Spain, and thought of themselves as more noble Jews, superior to others. The Spanish Jews had the cult of the Sephardim in Hebrew, and the Orthodox and Neologs - the cult of the Ashkenazim. They were Jews from Germany, but also from Galicia and Podolia. The seat of the Neologs was in Cetate, where it is still today, the seat of the Community; but they had the great, famous synagogue. There was a council house for general meetings, in Fabric, where the house of prayer is today. In Fabric, we were able to save the furniture from the Spanish synagogue. [...] Spanish Jews in Timișoara... I don't know if they still exist... were: Schateles, Bivas, families of Spanish Jews like Borghida: they spoke to each other in Ladino; a mixture, a jargon of Hebrew and Spanish, like Yiddish is a jargon of German and Hebrew.
Were there certain areas in the city where Jews lived?
Of course.
One of them was in Iosefin, on Preyer Street and Fröbl Street, where the synagogue is. You know, there is a neighborhood of Orthodox Jews there. This is specific to them. And I'm telling you that the Orthodox also lived in Fabric, not only in Iosefin. Today, the synagogue in Iosefin is still Orthodox, not Neolog; we, in Cetate and Fabric, are Neologs. [...]
The Orthodox church of Fabric was on Ion Creangă Street, with their rabbis and their specific community. [...] There is a place on Ecaterina Teodoroiu Street where the heder was, the primary Jewish school where they taught religion; it is called both “heider” and “heder.” This school is entirely Jewish, for a thorough religious initiation. Tandlerei was the connection between Piaţa Traian and Ecaterina Teodoroiu; Konn the furrier was also there, as were Jews. This neighborhood is Jewish. Ion Creangă Street as well... where the synagogue is... The mikvah, the bath, still exists in the churchyard [sic!] . These days, it is still there, the ritual bath. Well, you couldn't set foot in the synagogue without first taking a bath; with steam and water. Its ruins made of concrete are over there, in the yard. Schedule for men: they finish; are ready at three or four o'clock, bathe, and then the women and girls step in. Clean. These are the Laws of Moses. We don't have them, we never did, no. But, the Orthodox... oh, sir... those are religious! They supported this people.
There is a prayer composed of eighteen small prayers. It is said while standing and silently. Everyone must say the eighteen prayers for oneself, either from the book or by heart; but one must say them. There, the rabbi does not speak loudly, so that one can repeat it. Everyone must say the eighteen prayers by oneself; all by oneself. So how could they not get educated?...otherwise they won't be able to say the prayer… Shemone esrei, meaning “eighteen prayers” (“shemone” is eight, and “esrei” is ten), that's what that prayer is called. They are small, short, and each one is made of two or three sentences.
At thirteen, the Bar Mitzvah is the coming of age. The child must know a lot of things to be of age. Last year there was a child who came of age, and I prepared him to get ready for it. But what does coming of age mean?! Even though he is not of legal age, it is considered that, after thirteen, he is already mature for some things. He must already know the distinction between good and bad, between what is sin and what is not sin, what is allowed and not allowed to do. Jews can marry at eighteen. However, they must be eighteen years old, not like the Christians, who can get married at sixteen or seventeen. I think that girls can get married even at sixteen. Israel also has a coming of age ceremony, but only recently. It also takes place at thirteen.
I had my Bar Mitzvah when I was 13, it was mandatory then. I attended a Jewish school; when you went to a Jewish school, it was something common. I learned to read Hebrew from the Torah with a cantor, and when I turned 13, we met at the synagogue. Being a Bar Mitzvah was a great celebration, an honour for the one who was coming of age. Afterwards, he could attend synagogue services.
How is a Jewish marriage done?
There is no difference. They go to the synagogue, where the rabbi who officiates. It is almost the same as with Christians. A glass is broken, and the groom steps on a glass with his foot; the bride lights two candles and says the Blessing, "Blessed are Thou, oh Lord our God" and the rabbi speaks a sentence when he puts on the ring. He says: "I hereby consecrate you to me, according to the customs and laws of Moses." And this is the marriage, when the rabbi puts on the wedding ring, and the groom repeats this sentence after him. Everything is very simple.
