Jewish Pressburg (Bratislava)

Pressburg had its place on the sun (in the jewish history at least) in early nineteenth century when Rabbi Moshe Schreiber of Mattersdorf accepted the offer from local kehila and eastablished a yeshiva attended by some 500 pupils.

Also known as Chatam Sofer, the rabbi became manhig hador in his time and his kever is magnet for jewish visitors till this day. The fact is that except for his grave and a few nighbouring ones not much had been left neither from old cemetery nor from the rest of jewish sites in Bratislava. Large synagogue on bank of Danube that survived Nazi regime was destroyed by the communist one (the excuse was that a nearby new bridge would harm its statics anyway) and with it the only jewish dominant building in the city.

There is no kosher hotel in Bratislava (Chez David/Eshel David used to be one but both the hotel and restaurant are not kosher any more). There is an eatery at the local community center where meals have to be ordered in advance.

There is a small but vibrant community in Pressburg with a Chabad Rov and Bratislava has even its own (and pretty successful) Pressburger Klezmer Band.