Debrecen4U May 27, 2026

Jewish Cultural Days and Street Festival Begin in Debrecen

Several hundred guests and representatives of numerous Jewish communities from Hungary and beyond the country’s borders are arriving in Debrecen these days. As part of the Jewish Cultural Days and Street Festival, an international conference was held for the 27th time to strengthen cooperation between Jewish congregations. Participants discussed current community issues, programmes and opportunities for collaboration at the Orthodox Synagogue on Pásti Street.

“Souls Deported” is the title of the exhibition presented at the Orthodox Synagogue on Pásti Street, paying tribute to approximately one thousand Hungarian Jewish women – including two hundred from Debrecen – who were deported to forced labour camps.

Mayor László Papp stated that remembrance is not merely a reflection on history, but also a shared responsibility to preserve the memory of the communities and individuals who helped shape Debrecen and the country. “Heritage, remembrance, the history of Jewish communities, cultural relations and cooperation all call upon us to recognise that remembering the events of the past gives us the opportunity to build a future in which the mistakes of history are not repeated again and again,” he said.

Debrecen is one of Hungary’s strongholds of Jewish life outside Budapest, as emphasised by Andor Grósz, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary. In his view, Debrecen both preserves tradition and is capable of opening new paths. He also highlighted the cooperation between the city, the university and the Jewish community. Debrecen also sets an example in the way Israeli students studying here feel as safe as if they were at home. “All Jews are responsible for one another. This responsibility is not only a moral commandment, but also a source of community strength. Today’s conference makes this strength visible. It shows that we can rely on one another, share our experiences, and search together for the paths of the future,” he said.

At the conference, Zsolt Sári, State Secretary responsible for public collections and heritage protection, delivered a presentation entitled “Kibbutz House at the Skanzen in Szentendre.” In his lecture, he presented details of an exhibition in the Szentendre Open-Air Ethnographic Museum that explores the history of Jewish people emigrating from Hungary to Israel. “It is impossible to build culture without dialogue. And if dialogue becomes the foundation of this ministry, then I believe our culture will also be in the right place. I invite everyone to take part in this dialogue, and that is why I am here,” said Zsolt Sári.

Holocaust survivors were also honoured during the academic conference.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu