An official invitation

The team ot the exhibition in 1998 was clear from the outset that the work had to be crowned by an invitation from the city to the displaced. Only an official invitation from the mayor could symbolically counterbalance the injustice suffered. Wherever we talked with those concerned, this topic triggered skepticism, defense - "... St. Pölten will never do this!" And quiet hope.

The final promise of the city came very late, but not too late, also the country Lower Austria participated in the travel expenses. After some organizational caprices - this particular travel organization was also an unknown terrain for the institute - and some uncertainty, as well as the health of our guests, it was so far: On 25 November 1998 the former St. Pöltner met at Vienna Schwechat airport And their families, a total of nearly fifty people.

Even the welcome scenes were indescribable. Some "children" of the Zionist club Betar saw each other and their "leader" Zvi Gol again for the first time in 60 years...

At the long opening ceremony on 26 November in the crowded synagogue, each guest received Christoph Lind's book on the Jewish community of St. Pölten "... there were so nice people there". Many reported briefly about their future destiny after the expulsion and tried to express how their heart was - "mixed feelings" were voiced and great agitation. The disappointment that Mayor Willi Gruber was prevented on the opening evening, made the latter two days later at a reception in the town hall again. With warm and very personal words, he welcomed the guests and tried to bridge the gap between expulsion and reunion, because "St. Pölten is also your city! "

The tension of the moment was almost palpable. Abraham Harry Reiss from Kirjat Malachi brought the meaning of this invitation to the point. He quoted the Thai begging monks, whose mentality he had met during his long-term stays in Asia:

"A begging monk does not thank you. For just as the recipient needs the gifts, the giver also needs gifting. Just as we had old St. Pöltner Jews an invitation to our old hometown, it was also necessary for the city of St. Pölten to invite us."

The thank-you to the team of the institute were numerous and touching. The most beautiful recognition was written by a woman living in Switzerland today:
"The wall, which I built around me during sixty years, has fallen partially."