Europe's First Youth-Run Synagogue Opens in Hungary

The Jewish community of Budapest, the capital of Hungary, made history this week by dedicating a special synagogue, the first of its kind in the world, a synagogue that is not only geared toward young people up to age 18, but is also run by them.

The officeholders, the community leaders and the activity organizers are all teenagers. The goal is that the synagogue will not merely be a place of prayer, but will become the center of a young, living and independent Jewish community whose members take responsibility for shaping their own Jewish lives. Beyond the unique idea, it turns out that, as in other places across Europe, a fascinating piece of history is hiding here as well.

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

“The Men in the Red Hats”

The story of this Orthodox synagogue, located in the courtyard of the building at 23 Dessewffy Street in Budapest's sixth district, began more than 150 years ago, in 1870. The prayer house was originally set up inside a structure that had previously served as a stable, and the first congregation that prayed there was made up largely of Jewish wagon drivers, haulers and porters, men known as “the men in the red hats,” who lived in the area or worked near the nearby Nyugati railway station. Later on, the synagogue also became closely tied to the work of the Bikur Cholim (visiting the sick) Society. The building even has an old educational tradition connected to Jewish education for young children: a cheder once operated there, and later it became a fitting home for various Jewish youth initiatives and children's programs.

In the decades following World War II, as Orthodox Jewish life in Budapest steadily shrank, the synagogue on Dessewffy Street remained one of the important places where Orthodox Jewish tradition was preserved. For decades, László Herzog was one of the central figures in the life of the community. He served as prayer leader, Torah reader and teacher, and in effect became the figure most identified with the synagogue, and later one of the most prominent leaders of Orthodox Jewry in Hungary.

Herzog placed special importance on bringing the younger generation closer. He helped many young people draw near to Jewish tradition, and in his time the synagogue on Dessewffy Street also served as a home for educational programs and youth activities. His passing, along with the steady shrinking of the veteran congregation that prayed there, meant that more than a decade ago regular religious life at the site came to a halt.

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

(Photo: Emih)

A Synagogue for Young People

Now, as mentioned, the building has been rededicated at an impressive ceremony. It will be run by the international youth organization C-Teen, which is associated with Chabad, with full funding and support from the Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities (EMIH), which has redeemed many synagogues over the past decade and, just about a month ago, dedicated the historic synagogue in Rákospalota.

Rabbi Shlomo Köves, the chief rabbi of Hungary, emphasized at the opening ceremony: “We are continuing with determination in the work of bringing Jewish life back to synagogues that were abandoned or closed, anywhere there is a communal need and it is possible to do so.”

The chief Chabad emissary in Hungary, Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, who also serves as president of the Orthodox Rabbinate of Budapest, stressed that the future of Hungarian Jewry lies in the hands of the next generation. That is why it is especially important that young people not only take part in community life, but also shape and lead it.