Today History of the Jews in Hungary

the weeping willow monument in budapest hungarian victims of holocaust. each leaf inscribed family name of 1 of victims.

in april 1997, hungarian parliament passed jewish compensation act returns property stolen jewish victims during nazi , communist eras. under law, property , monetary payment given jewish public heritage foundation , jewish victims of holocaust. critics have asserted sums provided trivial, however, , represent nothing more symbolic gesture. overshadowing of holocaust politically guided preoccupation horrors of communist era has led, among other things, giving priority compensation of victims of communism on of nazism. add insult injury, indeterminate number of christian victims compensated properties nationalized communist regime had, in fact, legally or fraudulently acquired them jews during nazi era. compounding virtual obscenity, government of viktor orbán sought in late 1998 ease collective conscience of nation offering compensate survivors paying approximately $150 each member of particular immediate families, assuming can prove loved ones in fact victims of holocaust , while offering 33 times amount relatives of victims of communist era. reparation offer based on law xxix of 1997 in fact passed under gyula horn s socialist-free democrat government (1994–1998).

the economic situation has been deteriorating since 2007, , extreme elements have established paramilitary organizations complete nyilas-like uniforms , armbands. @ 2010 election, openly antisemitic jobbik party received 16.7% of vote. there has been collaboration between jobbik , antisemitic elements of fidesz party (in power 1998-2002 , 2010) since 2010 elections. instance, budapest square named after president roosevelt since 1946 renamed, while writer albert wass, sentenced in absentia war crimes (for murders of jewish women , romanian civilian men in transylvania in 1940) honored several squares , sculptures budapest authorities in 2011. same year, orbán s government stopped paying $150 year compensation (established previous government in 2007) 9,000 elderly survivors of holocaust in hungary still alive.

the 2001 hungary census recorded 12,871 people declared jewish religion. other estimates number of jews in hungary range 50,000 150,000 (no methodology or data collection method given these estimates); intermarriage rates around 60%. t in census of 2001). hungary has number of synagogues, including dohány street synagogue, second largest synagogue in world. jewish education organised: there 3 jewish high schools (lauder javne, wesselényi , anna frank). hungary home budapest university of jewish studies.

since fall of communism in 1989, there has been modest spiritual revival of jewish observance. in 2003, slomó köves (chabad) became first orthodox rabbi ordained in hungary since holocaust. ceremony attended rabbi shlomo amar, chief rabbi of israel, president of hungary. @ other end of spectrum reform congregation on anglo-american lines, known szím salóm, has been established under leadership of rabbi katalin kelemen.

during 2011, 1,014,682 taxpayers of hungary gave 1% of 2010 taxes religious denominations. jewish denominations received money 7,849 taxpayers (0.77%): 6,001 people offered money neologs, 1,120 chabad, 435 2 reform communities , 290 orthodox communities. 2 [three] years later, 6,835 [7,277] people gave 1% of 2012 [2013] taxes neologs, 1,551 [1,520] chabad , 286 [270] orthodox community. reform communities not allowed money taxes, since became not officially recognized in 2011.

the following table shows percentage of jewish taxpayers , weight in tax base among hungarian taxpayers voluntarily directed 1% of personal income taxes go religious denomination:

in july 2011, hungarian government , legislature classified religions recognized (14 denominations) , not recognized (200+) categories.(in december 2011, number of recognized denominations increased 31). orthodox jewish, status quo ante (which same chabad since 2004), , neolog denominations recognized, while progressive szím salóm , reform bet orim communities fell not recognized category, therefore no longer in table above, starting 2011.

jews born after holocaust, i.e. in or after 1945, started retire in 2007, , causes rapid decline in table above, since people on social security not pay personal income taxes in hungary @ present.