The Vienna City Temple hosted a special ceremony following its reopening after extensive restoration and renovation works. Representatives of the Republic of Austria and the City of Vienna, alongside members of the Jewish community and numerous guests, gathered at Seitenstettengasse to mark the reopening of the historic synagogue.
The ceremony was attended by numerous media representatives and broadcast live by ORF III, allowing a wider audience to take part in the occasion. It also formed part of celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the Vienna City Temple, which was inaugurated in 1826.
The ceremony opened with a performance by Chief Cantor Shmuel Barzilai and the Temple Choir, accompanied by Dror Binder. The evening was moderated by Timna Brauer.
In his address, Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG), highlighted the rise in antisemitism and the special security measures required today to ensure that Jewish life and Jewish institutions can be maintained and visited safely.
At the same time, Deutsch emphasised the longstanding connection between Jewish life and Austria.
“Jewish life has existed here since Roman times. Jewish communities have been here for almost 1,000 years. So allow me to state one thing: Judaism belongs to Austria like milk belongs in a Melange.”
The official reopening ceremony was marked by a symbolic ribbon-cutting attended by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, IKG President Oskar Deutsch, Chief Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer and IKG Vice-Presidents Claudia Prutscher and Michael Galibov.
The ceremony also reflected on the unique history of the City Temple. It is the only one of Vienna’s many synagogues to have survived the November 1938 pogroms and has remained in continuous use since then.
In his ceremonial address, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker underlined the significance of the City Temple and Jewish life for Austria.
“The Vienna City Temple has remained at the heart of this city for 200 years. Since its inauguration in 1826, it has been the spiritual centre of Vienna’s Jewish community, a place of prayer, encounter and communal life. Its history is inseparably linked to the history of Austria.”
A particularly significant moment of the ceremony was the prayer for the wellbeing of the Austrian state and for peace throughout the world, recited by Chief Rabbi Engelmayer. Chief Cantor Barzilai, accompanied by Dror Binder, then recited a verse from Isaiah 56:7: “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig also stressed the importance of social cohesion in the city, saying that a home is a place where people feel safe. He highlighted Vienna as an example of coexistence and said that people would not allow themselves to be divided, creating the conditions for Jewish life to continue to flourish in the Austrian capital.
The evening concluded with further musical performances by Chief Cantor Barzilai, the Temple Choir and the Children’s Choir.
The ceremony followed the official reopening of the City Temple on 9 September. After ten and a half months of construction works, the Jewish community returned to its spiritual centre in Seitenstettengasse in time for the High Holidays. Around 450 community members attended a ceremony marking the presentation of a new Torah scroll as part of the reopening.
The restoration and renovation project included construction, security and fire-safety measures, improvements to accessibility, and the careful restoration of the building’s interior. The historic structure was preserved, including the Budapest marble floor beneath the Bimah and historic stone skirting.
At the same time, the Temple’s infrastructure was modernised and its acoustics improved.
The reopening of the City Temple marks not only the restoration of one of Vienna’s most significant Jewish sites, but also the continued presence and vitality of Jewish life in the Austrian capital.
