Liturgy

The Dohány Street Synagogue played a significant role in the 19th-century revival of European Jewish culture. This movement, rooted in the European Enlightenment and Jewish Haskala, emphasized the renewal of Jewish liturgical practices. Reforms led to the unique design of the Dohány Synagogue, where the pipe organ became central to Jewish liturgical music—a break from tradition, as instrumental music had previously been forbidden. These reforms also contributed to divisions within the Jewish community, giving rise to the various religious streams seen today.

The musical liturgy in these “reform” synagogues combined traditional Jewish melodies (nigunim) with the Central European Romantic style of composers like Liszt and Brahms, shaping both Jewish worship and Central European national identities. The Dohány Synagogue was a flagship venue for this tradition, hosting performances by Liszt, Ravel, and other renowned composers. However, much of this musical heritage was lost due to the Holocaust, as sound recordings were rare. To preserve this legacy, community members donated musical relics—scores, photos, and more—to the Jewish Museum.

Our virtual exhibition showcases the musical heritage preserved in the museum. Through a total of 120 surviving manuscripts or printed scores, we offer an introduction to Jewish liturgy and also present the composers and performers of these works.

Select a topic from the menu bar on the left, then explore the related museum artifacts and their accompanying explanations. 

By clicking on the images of individual artifacts, you can access our collection database, where you can explore all known information about the objects. 

The original Hebrew text and English translation of the prayers and other texts are provided based on sefaria.org.