Szighet / Sighetu Marmatiei

A small town right next to the Ukrainian border. During Communist rule it was home to a terrible prison right in the middle of the city. Dissidents from all over the country were brought here. It’s a forbidding building with massive iron bars across the small windows. Today it houses a memorial museum.  

Szighet / Sighetu is the birthplace of Moshe Teitelbaum, the former Rebbe of the Szatmár Chassidim and descendent of many generations of Teitelbaums who have led the Jews of the town for almost 300 years.

It is also the birthplace of Elie Wiesel who died just a year ago. His parents’ house is now a museum. People here are really proud of their town’s son. 

We also met remaining members of the Jewish Kehille and a very endearing man who drove by on his bicycle as we were standing in front of the only remaining shul. He turned out to be a local historian who has written and published about the Jewish community of Szighet. This, as well as the Wiesel museum deserve their own posts.