Plovdiv and Sofia, Bulgaria, Days 2 and 3

The past two days in Bulgaria have increased my appreciation for the country immensely. On Tuesday we drove to Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe. Upon our arrival we went to the only synagogue in Plovdiv, which was built over 140 years ago. It is currently a beautiful Sephardic shul, but unfortunately it is only used on Holidays.

After spending some time in the shul and hearing from a few residents of Plovdiv, we went to the JCC to meet with the elderly of the community who experienced the amazing Holocaust story of the Jews in Bulgaria. Though before we met with them, the President of the Jewish community of Plovdiv spoke to us. One thing he told us that I found fascinating was that when the terrorist attack on a group of Israelis occurred earlier this year in Bulgaria, he received nearly 50 condolence emails. He said that in Bulgaria it’s the custom to only express condolences to close relatives, but this story really shows how close the Bulgarian community is. Not just the Jews, but also all Bulgarians. The story of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust is another prime example of the unique bond Bulgarians have with one another.

When Boris III, the king of Bulgaria at the time of WWII, sided with the Germans he did so in the best interest of his country and its people. He did his best to stay neutral throughout the war, but he eventually had no choice but to pick a side. In 1943 the Jews were to be packed into boxcars and sent to Treblinka, a death camp in occupied Poland. Two men that are “Righteous Among the Nations,” now recognized by Yad Vashem, stepped in to prevent and eventually stop the Jews from being taken away. The bishop of Plovdiv, Metropolitan Kirill, and the bishop of Sofia, Metropolitan Stefan, went to the station where the Jews were being loaded onto the boxcars and threatened to lay down on the tracks if the Jews were taken. Of the 48,000 Jews in Bulgaria before the war, 48,000 remained after the war. That is until people began immigrating to Israel and 45,000 of the 48,000 left for the Holy Land.

After we left the JCC we drove about 45 minutes to the Bachkovo Monastery, where Kirill and Stefan are buried. Their tombs are inside a church built in 1603 and the most meaningful experience of the day, for me, happened there. Rabbi Dov asked if it was appropriate to say Kaddish and our guide said yes. Rabbi Dov, me, and a few other guys put on our Kippot and we said Kaddish. The image of young Jews standing in a 400-year-old church and saying Kaddish for two priests who saved thousands of Jews is the epitome of Kivunim. This is what this program is all about- accepting, appreciating, and learning from other religions and cultures.

We then had dinner, made our way back to Sofia, and got ready for our last day in Bulgaria.

We checked out of the hotel and left for the magnificent synagogue in Sofia, the biggest Sephardic synagogue in Europe. 

First we went to the museum next to the shul, which was just a small room filled with the artifacts of the Jews in Sofia before the war. Sarah, our RA, asked the question of the day- we’ve heard what it was like for the pre-communist generation and the post communist generation, but what about the generation that only knew communism until recently? Our guide told us that the first time she stepped into a synagogue legally was scary for her. She had no idea what to do or how to act. That generation eventually learned from the post communist generation who learned from Sunday schools, summer camps, and other activities. However, the country as whole had a difficult time transitioning because there were a lot of issues with money and many jobs were lost. Many Bulgarians became poor and some even committed suicide. The intelligent people of Bulgaria became poor too because they lost their jobs and refused to do less stimulating jobs, which is where the root of the problem is in Bulgaria. Because those types of people are lacking in Bulgaria, the country has a bleak future.

But to end on a positive note, my overall experience in Bulgaria was fantastic. The Jewish community was a warm and hospitable community with more pride for their country and culture than I have ever seen before. They showed all of my peers and I a different aspect of a Jewish community because they saw and experienced Judaism as a culture more than a religion. It was great to see Judaism in another light, and it makes me hopeful that any community I am involved in in the future will embrace Judaism as a culture as well. I want to thank all my new Bulgarian friends again for their incredible hospitality and generosity, and for showing me what Bulgaria is all about.

We ended the day with our longer than expected bus ride to Skopje, Macedonia where we will be staying for less than 24 hours. That post will follow shortly.

“Where ever I’ve been, I’m not there now. Where ever I’m going, I don’t have to be there yet.” -SB

2 down, 10 to go.