THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF PÁPA JEWRY - JewishGen

FOREWORD
In December, 1945, only a few months after my return from deportation, I participated in
the congress of the Hungarian Zionist Association in Budapest, representing the Pécs community.
In my speech about monuments, I expressed my view that instead of the erection of many
monuments, a department should be established at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in
memory of the martyrs from Hungary, Each and every Jewish community should be
commemorated, together with its history. Subsequently, part of this job was undertaken by Yad
Vashem. The Jews remaining in Hungary erected one monument after the other, spending large
sums of money on the project. As for me personally, I dedicated thirty one monuments, from
Nagykanizsa to Abaújszántó, from Kaposvár to Tállya.
Now I have been asked to write the foreword by the author of the memorial book about
the martyrs of my hometown.
Pápa, my birthplace, my parents’ home, the scene of my childhood experiences. I had but
one grave there, that of my maternal grandmother; I went to visit it several times a year. As a
“walking miracle” 1 from Auschwitz, I have experienced all the trials of life. On thousands of
occasions I stood at the open grave sharing the grief of the mourners and now I am looking for
comfort and strength! I have never felt as weak as now, writing these lines. I must remember the
Jews of Pápa! Unfortunately, I have an excellent memory! Should I write about my teachers –
about the “little” Mr. Baum, who was always a great man in my eyes, teaching me the Hebrew
letters when I was barely four? About Mr. Paneth, who introduced me to the pearls of the
Talmud? About my religious education teacher Mr. Marton, who represented a magnificent
combination of religious and secular knowledge? About my teachers at the elementary school of
the Jewish community? About Elemér Bruder? About Jakab Willner, who shared with me the hell
of Magdeburg? About our kind-hearted principal "Uncle" Buxbaum? [In Hungary the male
teacher in elementary school used to be addressed as "Uncle" (Bácsi) the translator.] Their names
are included in this book, and live forever in my memory. Shall I commemorate our famous
rabbi, Sámuel Gottlieb? He noted the fact that I was preparing for the entrance examination of the
Rabbinical Seminary's grammar school; sometimes he even “interrogated” me. Shall I write
about the temple? In November 1945, I was struck numb by the terrible sight: burnt out walls,
missing roof, devastation…I had the feeling that:
"The temple yard is filled with memories:
Many yesterdays gone by, many distances covered,
A part of your life, a part of yourself". 2
On my visits to Pápa, I could never go near the temple again, just as I was unable to visit
my parents' former apartment.
What happened to the people of Pápa, what happened to us? From one day to another we
became slaves, beggars stripped of our dignity. Our most beautiful ideals were mocked by the
hangman's snigger. The beast in Man was awakened to prevent the divine message of love from
1 L. Kubovitsky.
2 Noémi Munkács.
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