Jewish History Museum

Once a thriving part of Romania, the Jewish community in the capital dates from the 16th century, when merchants and traders settled here. In 1941 800,000 Jews lived in Romania; today the number is less than 10,000. In Lucian Boia's book Romania he lamented the Jewish exodus from Romania after WWII as losing 'part of the Romanian soul'. There was reason to leave - as many as 400,000 Jews were killed in Romania during the war.

Several sites keep this part of Romanian history in the public memory. Housed in the beautiful former Tailor's synagogue, the well-arranged Jewish History Museum bears testimony to the city's once-thriving Jewish life. Exhibits - in English and Romanian - highlight Jewish contributions to Romania (culturally, politically and militarily), while the Holocaust Room shows horrific photographs and a sculpture of a shrouded man, in memory of the 150,000 Jews who were deported to hard-labour camps in Transdniestr, Moldova, and the 200,000 from Transylvania who died at Auschwitz, Poland. The synagogue dates from 1850 and is one of three pre-WWII synagogues to survive in the city. You must bring your passport to visit. It's on a small lane behind the Unirea Shopping Centre.