THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF PÁPA JEWRY - JewishGen

THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE PÁPA JEWS
Ever since the letter by Count Ferenc Eszterházy on May 10, 1748, permitting the
establishment of a Jewish community in Pápa, for almost two centuries the relationship with
followers of other religions was excellent. There are many instances to be quoted in connection
with this friendly and intimate state of affairs:
In 1840, the Jewish community raised money for the statue of King Matthias and decided
to contribute 400 forints to the local Protestant High School, an excellent Hungarian institution.
In 1846 the patron of the town contributed 100,000 bricks to the construction of the new Jewish
temple.
In 1848 the patriotic sermons of Lipót Lőw were attended on Shabbat by students of the
Protestant High School and the Theological Seminary at the Jewish temple. In 1872, a beautiful
house was donated by Pál Királyföldi, a landowner of the Lutheran faith, for the purposes of a
Jewish school. In his will, the same person also left 500 forints for the school. The annual pages
of the Protestant High School always contained the names of Jewish contributors who supported
the Relief Association.
Roman Catholic abbé Néger never missed visiting community president Adolf
Lőwenstein at Simchat Tora in order to participate in the party given by the president for the
members of his community. Community president Adolf Lőwenstein left in his will 500 forints to
the town to feed 10 poor Catholics, 10 Protestants and 10 Jews every year at the anniversary of
his death.
Lutheran bishop Ferenc Gyurátz greeted the newly elected rabbi by a speech in Hebrew.
Calvinist bishop Géza Antal often went to see the merchant Zsigmond Beck, a respected
community member, to talk with him in an intimate, friendly manner.
On pleasant spring evenings we often saw Henrick Blau, principal of the Jewish higher
elementary school, walking arm in arm with Baldauf, the Lutheran bishop's secretary (who later
became the bishop of Pécs).
Adolf Karlowitz, the secular president of the Catholic Church and the brother-in-law of
the bishop of Vác, employed a Jewish woman in his pharmacy, exempting her from work on
Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Jewish students were exempted from writing on Shabbat at the Protestant High School, at
the Calvinist Boarding-School for Girls and at the Public Higher Elementary School for Girls.
The Protestant High School made it possible for Jewish students to attend Shabbat
morning services for youth at 11 A.M. on a regular basis.
Non-Jews made up 40 % of the students attending the Jewish higher elementary school.
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