Hungary

Overview

When Hungary came under communist rule following World War II, the right to practice religion was just one of the many freedoms curtailed. The country held its first multiparty elections in 1990, and in the last 20 years it has developed a market economy. It joined the European Union in 2004.

Hungary is home to the fourth largest Jewish population in Europe, and JDC has a long history working inside its borders. In the aftermath of World War I, JDC responded to the dire needs of Jews ravaged by hunger, disease, and war. In more recent decades, JDC has offered assistance to Hungarian Jews in the darkest days of World War II, during the communist era, and now in the aftermath of communism’s fall.

Need

The transition to a market economy was welcomed on the world stage but its effects were not all positive. Elderly Jews—many of them Holocaust survivors—were particularly hard hit in this new economy and found themselves unable to meet their basic needs on a fixed income.

While Hungary has built a well-established network of Jewish organizations, there continues to be a need to enhance communal life and advance the community toward self-sufficiency.

Response
JDC works closely with the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities and other community organizations to provide social services to the neediest, expand Jewish renewal and outreach activities, and promote community development. JDC’s efforts include:

• Hot meals, home care, winter relief, and medical care for needy Holocaust survivors
• Help for Jewish children and families at risk
• Programs for all age groups and interests at the Balint Jewish Community Center
• Support for grassroots organizations through the JDC Outreach Network
• Training for young leaders and communal professionals

Impact

JDC’s work in Hungary addresses both immediate and long-term needs. The provision of welfare services to elderly Holocaust survivors continues to be a major area of operation, supplemented now by the assistance rendered to younger Jews in need through the Jaffe Jewish Family Service. As a result:

• More than 5,000 Holocaust survivors are able to meet their essential needs
• 451 young families and 750 children are benefiting from comprehensive social services

JDC is also helping to advance the revival of Jewish life in Central Europe’s largest Jewish community through its support for a variety of programs and activities. Examples include:

• The thriving Balint Jewish Community Center, which has more than 3,450 participants each month and offers 39 programs weekly
• The popular Judafest street festivals, which have been attracting 2,000 to 4,000 people, many of whom are new to the community
• Three-day Limmud-Keshet grassroots Jewish studyfests, which have quickly become an annual tradition bringing together more than 400 participants
• The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/JDC International Summer Camp at Szarvas, which hosts more than 2,000 participants from 20-plus countries worldwide

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