Today we cast a spotlight on our community’s delegation who are traveling to Budapest, Hungary next week to attend the 2022 Partnership Summit. The Summit is the first in-person Partnership gathering in over two years and the first Partnership gathering ever to be held in Budapest! Our Buffalo delegation, led by Buffalo Jewish Federation professional, Mandy Weiss, includes Frank Altman, Jeff Blum, Daryl Helfman, Armand & Lori Morrison, Jeff Neu and Mike Rawl.

The Hungarian Jewish community, estimated at between 75,000 and 100,000, is the largest in East Central Europe. Most Hungarian Jews live in the capital, Budapest, which has some 20 working synagogues and a plethora of other Jewish institutions, both religious and cultural. There are also several smaller Jewish communities in provincial cities, with an active religious and cultural life. Despite occasional antisemitic incidents and a neo-Nazi party, Hungarian Jews have every facility to express their Jewish heritage and religious life.

Some of the highlights in Budapest the delegation will experience include:

• The Israel Cultural Institute—the world’s first and only Israeli cultural institute.
• The Jewish District—it was here that the Jewish people started settling down in the late 18th century.
• The Budapest Jewish University—The Jewish Theological Seminary – University of Jewish Studies, Hungary is a dynamically prospering small university under the auspices of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities.
• The Budapest Jewish Hospital—built in 1914, it is the only Jewish hospital in Central Europe and currently has 378 beds and treat an average of 800 patients per year.

Nesiya Tova – we wish “safe travels” to our delegation and look forward to hearing about this unique experience upon their return!