Șimleu Silvaniei (Hungarian Szilágysomlyó), a town in Sălaj County in north-western Romania, was the centre of an Orthodox community founded in 1841; about 1,600 Jews lived here in 1930. From 1940 to 1944 it was under Hungarian rule, and in May and June 1944 some 8,500 Jews from the whole county were held at a brick factory in the nearby village of Cehei before being deported to Auschwitz. The town’s synagogue, the only one left in the county, has housed the Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum since 2005.
The synagogue of Șimleu Silvaniei, the only one left in Sălaj County, has housed the Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum since 2005. Nearby, at a brick factory in Cehei, some 8,500 Jews were held…
The synagogue of Șimleu Silvaniei, the only one left in Sălaj County, has housed the Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum since 2005.…
The Federation’s directory lists no Jewish community in Șimleu Silvaniei. The nearest registered community is in Zalău, about 20 km away as the crow flies.
Details from the community directory of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), checked on 5 November 2026. Contact the community before visiting to arrange access to the synagogue or cemetery and to ask about a minyan and kosher food. FCER community directory
str. 1 Mai 6 · Built in the 19th–20th centuries
From the list of synagogues of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), checked on 5 November 2026. Synagogues marked “In use” are listed as functioning. The others still stand but may be closed or used as a museum or hall. Arrange visits with the community in advance. FCER list
No address on the official list
From the Federation’s cemetery list (2007). Arrange visits in advance with the community, which holds the keys.
Map of Jewish cemeteries in RomaniaAstronomical calculation for the town-centre coordinates, sea-level horizon, Romanian time: dawn 16.1°, tallit & tefillin 11.5°, nightfall 7.083°, candle lighting 18 minutes before sunset, Shabbat ends 8.5°. For orientation only; consult a rabbi on questions of halacha.
According to the chains’ own websites. Branch addresses and hours are in each chain’s store locator.
Hundreds of products from Romanian supermarkets with a recognised hechsher. In the catalogue you can filter by the chain you shop at.
Open the kosher catalogueGeneral guidance for travellers. For any kashrut question, consult a rabbi.
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