Synagogue in Samorin

This photo was taken in the 1970s.

In the background is the Samorin synagogue, of which my father was the last rabbi.

The building deteriorated from the year 1944, when they rounded up and deported the entire community.

Luckily it wasn’t demolished, like many synagogues in Slovakia. About a decade ago, some man bought it, and had it renovated. It currently serves as a gallery and concert hall.

Before the war we lived in Samorin at 4 Hlavna St.

The apartment had three rooms and a kitchen, no great luxury. The building also had a small garden, but there wasn't anything there, just a couple of flowers.

As the oldest, I used to sleep in the last room, which also served as the living room. The windows faced the street.

The entire street was lined with acacia trees which gave off a beautiful aroma. Electricity had already been installed, but not running water.

There was no sewage system either. The town had open sewers that collected dirty water, and the main sewer was in Hlavna Street.

In the summer it stank horribly. I'll never forget how in the evening the beautiful aroma of the acacia flowers mingled with the stench of the sewers.

It was intolerable. People had to close their windows.