By Amy Joseph Landon
So, why Budapest? Partnership2Gether’s mission is to connect Jewish communities around the world, which include not only our partners in Israel but also Budapest, Hungary and 17 cities in the United States. Budapest has a long and rich Jewish history that reflects the resilience of Jews throughout history. In September, I had the incredible opportunity to travel with nearly 20 other young adults from these communities to participate in the P2G Horizon Young Adult Seminar, where we were not only immersed in Hungarian Jewish history, but our goal was also to strengthen connections among our partner communities and learn about our Jewish roots. I was joined by four other Louisville community members: Sandra Chack, Chaya Hirsch, Daniele Hurwitz and Becca Lusignolo.
The Hungarian Jewish community that constructed the highest concentration of synagogues in Europe also endured terrible years of persecution. Budapest remains home to Europe’s largest synagogue, the 2,964-seat Dohány Street Synagogue, which was completed in 1859.
Our Hungarian volunteers proudly showed our group around their city, sharing their Jewish experiences as Eastern Europeans in an authoritarian country. The Israelis were able to escape the challenges of war for a few days and have conversations, whether deep or light, with new friends. These relationships connect us to one another in a way that news coverage of world events can never do. In good times and in bad, they allow us to show – and even more important — to feel — the resonance of our mutual support.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jews built a thriving community following Hungary gaining independence from the Habsburg Empire in 1849. Jews in rural and urban areas of Hungary practiced their religion openly — establishing a seminary, building gathering spaces, and fostering a rich Jewish culture. But much of that changed in 1920 when a new Regent of Hungary was elected, prompting the first specifically antisemitic law, excluding Jews from the nation’s out of universities. That laid the groundwork for the ensuing years marked by widespread persecution of the country’s Jews. Yet despite these restrictions and an eventual alliance with Nazi Germany, Budapest was considered relatively safe for Jews, even becoming a haven for Holocaust refugees. But once the Nazis took over, they quickly ghettoized and eventually deported Jews to concentration camps – only 30% of the Hungarian Jewish population survived. Still, even as the Holocaust began to terrorize Hungary, Jews organized to protect as many Jews as possible, forging identity papers and smuggling refugees across borders.
Hungary adopted a Communist government after World War II. Absent of open religious practice, cherished rituals began to disappear as the Jewish community became increasingly secular. It wasn’t until late 1989, when Communism collapsed, that Hungarian Judaism was allowed again to flourish. National Jewish organizations were founded, and the Jewish community seized the opportunity to regain ownership and restore synagogues and other pillars of Jewish life.
During our five-day P2G seminar, we learned from representatives of Jewish agencies, from historians, and from community members whose common goal is to create a thriving Jewish culture in Hungary.
A recurring theme that emerged in these conversations was, “What does it mean to be Jewish?” Hungarian Jews have a proud heritage. We saw ornate graves in a Jewish cemetery that prominently displayed historical symbols of Judaism alongside traditional Hungarian motifs, reflecting the pride early 20th-century Jews took in their collective roots.
During post-war Communist rule, Jews continued their traditions amid smaller neighborhood settings. We toured Teleki Flat synagogue, a modest Orthodox congregational space tucked away in a modern apartment building, where services have been held since 1910. It took the 2020 pandemic to interrupt those ongoing services for the first time in its history. Such congregations helped keep Jewish identity alive when society prohibited it.
Today Hungary’s Jewish population is a fraction of the size it had been before the -war, but there are continuing efforts to preserve Jewish history and highlight Jewish pride. Markers have been installed at the former ghettos to commemorate the devastation of the Holocaust. A living Holocaust memorial sits in a public square in downtown Pest, where the Jewish neighborhood is home to restaurants and shops that don’t hesitate to embrace Jewish culture. The Haver Institute works with schools across Budapest to teach students ages eight and up about Jewish identity. The Jewish hospital continues to prioritize providing critical medical services to Holocaust survivors from across Europe, while providing Kosher meals and regularly hosting Shabbat services.
Many of the Hungarians we met acknowledged that were was much more work to be done in protecting Jewish history, from maintaining the dilapidated cemetery to acknowledging Hungary’s role in the Holocaust. But all agreed that the Jewish community is proud of their Judaism and feels safe under Hungary’s current government. Hearing about their history, our group reflected on our own Jewish identities – how do we show our pride and how do we remain resilient in challenging times?
Despite the thousands of miles between the United States and Hungary, it’s clear we share some challenges and opportunities. Hungary currently has the largest Jewish population in East Central Europe at around 120,000, though only about 5,000 – 10,000 are active. Just like in the U.S., the population of active participants is aging, and the number of affiliated Jews is declining. Jewish community professionals such as the Joint Distribution Committee are working to engage younger people, whether through expansion of existing programs like summer camps or new programs suggested in recent surveys. Indeed, the Jewish Agency of Eastern Europe has seen an opportunity to grow the younger population – demonstrating how numerous young adults are just discovering their Jewish roots after years when their families did not discuss their Judaism.
One of the most powerful aspects of our trip was connecting with people from the global Jewish community and hearing about the impact of the various P2G relationships. The Jewish Agency For Israel’s European office acknowledged that their ability to help Ukrainian refugees “could not have been done without Federations, because we were able to move quickly.” Dr. Assaf Shemesh from Budapest Jewish Hospital volunteered in the ER at the Nahariya hospital for a month in the aftermath of October 7 and has worked since to support medical efforts in the region. Even today, he trains doctors to be ready to respond in Israel immediately if needed.
During a roundtable discussion, Israeli group members shared about what life has been like since the Hamas attacks. Some evacuated families have not returned to their homes in more than a year. We heard stories of frequent stays in home bomb shelters as familiar sirens warned of increasingly common rocket barrages. Parents spoke about the challenges of talking to their young children about war, and the mental toll of Israel’s ongoing war footing. Just after we returned from Budapest, Shlomi, an Israeli member of our group, was called up from the IDF reserves –requiring him to leave his wife and young children for the second time in a year.
Chaya described her experience, “I was first interested in the trip from historical Jewish culture perspective, and it did not disappoint in that regard at all. I learned so much about the history of Budapest and saw so many amazing sites. I did not expect how much I would enjoy the social aspects of the trip. I met some great people and had some amazing conversations. What was especially impactful to me was to hear many of the Israelis express some of the same concerns and frustrations I have regarding their current government, because sometimes that can be a controversial opinion here in America. I am grateful to the Partnership for subsidizing this experience and for allowing me to meet so many wonderful people.”
It was a true privilege to be together with our Jewish communal family, to make new friends, learn from one another, and to stand in the same places generations before us stood — whether in celebration of a thriving business, in struggle as they were herded into ghettos, or in devastation as Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. We showed solidarity as we sung “Hatikvah” alongside our Israeli friends, prayed for peace and the release of hostages, and proudly joined together in Jewish traditions like attending Shabbat services at the Budapest JCC and participating in Havdalah. Experiences like this are invaluable in fostering connections to Jewish heritage, to Israel and our global Jewish community, and to help ensure our Jewish future.
The financial support from the Federation’s annual campaign and support for Partnership2Gether is what makes programs like this possible and accessible to our community, especially our younger members. It was a privilege to be part of it.
Amy Joseph Landon is Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the Jewish Community of Louisville