An Orthodox rabbi was ordained in Debrecen - Jewish cultural days have begun

For the first time since the Second World War, an Orthodox rabbi was ordained in Debrecen. Sámuel Faigen – the rabbi of the EMIH Association of United Hungarian Jewish Congregatio and the Chabad-Lubavic movement, was installed as the head of the local Jewish community on Wednesday at the Pásti Street Synagogue. After that, the “Jewish House” at Piac utca 5-7, which also hosts religious and cultural programs, was officially opened.

Kosher food court and street festival help us get to know Jewish culture in Debrecen

At the rabbinic ordination organized in the Pásti Street Synagogue, Slomó Köves, the chief rabbi of the EMIH-Hungarian Jewish Association, recalled that Rabbi Sámuel Faigen and his wife moved to the city almost exactly 12 years ago and started organizing faith life programs for the Israeli students studying there. Later, they became involved in the life of the local Hungarian Jewish community, they learned Hungarian perfectly and the cooperation of the local Jewish community led to the fact that they were able to appoint an Orthodox rabbi in Debrecen for the first time in the post-World War II period. The head of the EMIH thanked Tamás Horovitz, the president of the Jewish Community of Debrecen belonging to Mazsihisz, for “putting aside all other aspects, he keeps the future of the Jewish community and unity in mind”, and also the city administration of Debrecen for supporting the development of the local Jewish community so much.

Referring to the EMIH, Slomó Köves said:

“The Jewish community lives not only in Budapest, but in many parts of Hungary, and we will not rest until every Hungarian Jew is given the opportunity to return to the faith of his ancestors.”

David Lau, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the State of Israel, participated in the inauguration of Sámuel Faigen, who, referring to the Holocaust memorial plaque next to the synagogue, spoke about the importance of thinking about those who were left alone in the face of evil 80 years ago. At the same time, today the Jewish community in Debrecen “is not alone, it has a rabbi, and the whole city treats it as a partner”.

“I can also say on behalf of the Israeli Rabbinate that the renaissance of the Hungarian Jewish community is unprecedented. I have been to Hungary four times in the last 10 years and every time I see that more and more synagogues are opening and more and more people are going to schools and houses of worship.”

According to him, all this is thanks to EMIH and the way their efforts are supported by the Hungarian government.

This was confirmed in his speech by Zoltán Fürjes, the Deputy Secretary of State responsible for Church and Ethnic Relations, who said that the government provides all the support, but in order to have such a lively and active community as in Debrecen, leaders like the recently installed Rabbi Faigen and his wife are needed.

The events in Debrecen closed this year’s Synagogue Week event series of the EMIH, which began on August 28 with the already traditional Sólet Festival and offered a variety of musical and cultural programs to those interested in Budapest and in rural locations.