The Jewish Community of Porto is horrified as countless European former synagogues—once centers of thriving Jewish communities —are becoming establishments that have nothing to do with Jewish culture and are contrary or hostile to it.
In Wales, the 1877 Merthyr Tydfil Synagogue was transformed into a gymnasium. In Kraków, Poland, the 1407 Kopernik Synagogue is a cabaret venue. In Trnava, Slovakia, the 1892 Orthodox Synagogue was converted into the so-called "Synagoga Cafe", which retains preserved what it calls "architectural details" like the Torah Ark. In Săveni, Romania, the 1847 Great Synagogue was converted into the so-called "Restaurant Iris" serving traditional Romanian cuisine, deeply rooted in heavily featuring pork, and seafood. The owners praise the food that "combines savory meats with dairy in single preparations".
The examples follow one another, more and more. In Erfurt, Germany, the Old Synagogue of Erfurt for years was used as a ballroom, a restaurant, and two bowling alleys. In Poznań, the 1907 Neo-Romanesque New Synagogue was serving as a swimming pool. In Kraków, the 17th-century Wolf Popper Synagogue now operates as an arts center, where croquettes and non-kosher drinks are distributed so that visitors are satisfied. Also in Chevra Tehilim, in Kraków, the 19th-century Chevra Tehilim Synagogue has been adapted into "Hevre", a trendy bar, cafe, and community space. Its use as a venue serving alcohol has sparked "debate", not a big scandal.
Dozens of other European and specially Polish Towns saw former synagogue structures privatized and adapted for entirely non-Jewish commercial uses, ranging from local gyms to shops, and a scandalous house of bad manners.
Less serious, but equally worrying, are the permanent transformations of Jewish temples into mere cultural spaces.
