Budapest’s Jewish community is rolling out a packed May calendar across multiple districts and venues, curated by the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH). From thought‑provoking talks and theater to family programs, culinary workshops, city walks, and study circles, it’s all in one place—tickets on sale now.
Oxford Night in Óbuda: The Future of Humanity
What happens when an Oxford behavioral researcher sits down with an Orthodox rabbi? Expect a fast‑forward conversation about our accelerating world—where months feel like epochs and new realities outpace our grasp. On May 8 at the Óbuda Synagogue (Óbudai Zsinagóga) (1036 Budapest, Lajos u. 163.), Rabbi Slomó Köves hosts Dr. Tamás Dávid‑Barrett from the University of Oxford for TalkSló. Out of respect for Shabbat sanctity, please avoid using phones or electronic devices in the synagogue. Price: $19.00; with Haver Card: $16.15.
Zsiliputi Sunday Jewish School Is Back
Sunday mornings return to the Zsilip Center’s two‑level playhouse and study rooms with the refreshed Zsiliputi Sunday Jewish School (Zsiliputi Zsidó Vasárnapi Iskola), running May 10, 17, and 24 from 10:00 to 12:30 for ages 4–14 at 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1. Kids prep for holidays, learn mitzvot, explore traditions, and pick up values that stick for life—whether pre‑bar/bat mitzvah or already eyeing youth programs.
Menorahs and Cobblestones: Szentendre Jewish City Walk
Szentendre, often called the city of painters—and in many cases, Jewish painters—reveals deeper layers on May 10 with guide János Vajda. Stops include Kossuth Street and Deim Square (homes and family stories), the Ferenczy Museum courtyard (Miklós Radnóti’s labor service plaque), Petőfi Street’s former Jewish school and prayer house, Dumtsa Street’s Lajos Vajda plaque and Jewish visual artists’ legacy, the Main Square’s shops and Stolpersteine, and the Szántó Memorial and Prayer House. Finish at the Jewish House Szentendre (Zsidóház Szentendre) for a 10–15 minute talk by Rabbi Mendy Myers; walkers get fresh lemonade at the Cháj Café. Meeting point: Szentendre HÉV terminal. Price: $11.00; with Haver Card: $9.90.
Babylon Dossier: A Monodrama of Survival and Defiance
At Zsilip on May 10, actress Andrea Fullajtár revives the Auschwitz diaries of her grandmother, the gifted young writer Olga Galló, who was deported at 30 with her mother. In the camps and later labor sites, Galló wrote—sometimes at the cost of her food ration—because writing meant survival. She lived, but lost her mother, her beloved sibling, her home, and for a time even the pen that had saved her. Two decades on, after a breakdown, she resolved to publish—even as the Kádár era preferred silence. The monodrama draws from Galló’s manuscript Ten Months in Babylon (Tíz hónap Babilon) and her correspondence documenting the struggle to get it printed. Text by Olga Galló; dramaturgy by Róbert Solt; music by Botond Lelkes; directed by Máté Szabó. Venue: 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1. Price: $16.20; with Haver Card: $13.75.
András Halász at 80: A Jewish Painter’s Manifesto
In Szentendre’s Jewish House (Zsidóház) (2000 Szentendre, Pátriarka u. 6.), Munkácsy Prize–winning András Halász stakes out an uncompromising milestone: at 80, he takes stock of his Jewishness. His works stand as pure art—compelling even without backstory—yet they’re charged with existential politics, never partisan didacticism. The title, A Jewish Painter (Egy zsidó festő), lands like a declaration: true art can hardly be more political.
Theater Tales and a Quiz
Back by demand at the Óbuda Synagogue (Óbudai Zsinagóga) (Lajos u. 163.): theater historian Ágnes Szebényi from the Bajor Gizi Actor’s Museum digs into legends of Jewish heritage on stage—Kálmán Latabár, Juci Komlós, and József Székhelyi—spilling secrets, backstage lore, and aphorisms. Dates: Juci Komlós on May 11 at 10:00; József Székhelyi on May 27 at 10:00; quiz on June 8 at 10:00. Price: $5.50; with Haver Card: $4.10.
Havruta: Study as a Way of Life
Learning in pairs or small groups—havruta style—anchors weekly programs at Zsilip (Újpesti rakpart 1). Mondays: 18:30 weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Sámuel Glitzenstein; 19:30 The Role of Women in Judaism with Rebbetzin Sarah Nógrádi. Wednesdays: 17:30 The Messianic Era—Philosophy and Halacha with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander; 18:30 The Book of Mitzvot—613 Commandments with Rabbi Jonatán Megyeri. On May 20 at 19:30, Rebbetzin Nógrádi hosts a women’s study session on women’s real roles in Judaism; free with registration, for halachically Jewish participants.
Kabbalah Evenings at Vasvári
Rabbi Baruch Oberlander leads Monday Kabbalah classes at 19:00 in the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue (Vasvári Pál utcai zsinagóga) (1061 Budapest, Vasvári Pál u. 5) on May 11, 18, and 25.
Tea & Torah Tuesdays in Kecskemét
A calming cup for the mind: Rabbi Shalom Ber hosts Five O’Clock Tea & Torah every Tuesday at Jewish House Kecskemét (Zsidóház Kecskemét) (6000 Kecskemét, Katona József tér 12) on May 12, 19, and 26—nourishing understanding of the world and ourselves.
KiddieTime in Óbuda
Wednesdays 16:30–18:00 at Lajos u. 163: music with parents, playful Jewish learning while parents sharpen their Hebrew, then everyone reunites for a Krav Maga close. For ages 3–10.
Fusion Food Workshop
Feed the mind, then the body: on May 17 at Jewish House Szentendre (Zsidóház Szentendre) (Pátriarka u. 6.), each thematic cooking session opens with a short study by Rebbetzin Tzivia Myers, followed by hands‑on kitchen practice led by chef Balázs Sepsi. Register and pay on site. Registration fee: $13.50.
Esztergom: Matzah, Liqueur, and Memory
A two‑hour, 1.24‑mile city walk on May 17 led by urban historian Zoltán Aguera uncovers Esztergom’s Jewish traces—from a 3rd‑century tombstone to a former mikveh—and reveals how liqueur enters the story. Meeting point: Mindszenty Cardinal Primate Square (Mindszenty hercegprímás tér) 1. Price: $13.50; with Haver Card: $12.15.
Memory Lab
On May 18 at the Óbuda Synagogue (Óbudai Zsinagóga), a memory‑training session—mental aerobics tailored for 50+ but open to all—keeps cognition, recall, and focus in shape. Price: $5.50.
Craft Nights and Holiday Prep
On May 19, Hanna Somogyi leads a Shavuot paper‑flower workshop at the Óbuda Synagogue (Óbudai Zsinagóga) (doors 18:30). Price: $5.50. On May 24 at Jewish House Szentendre (Zsidóház Szentendre), join Home magic? Kitchen spice! (Otthoni bűvszer? Konyhai fűszer!)—a hands‑on blend of crafts, light study, easy conversation, and soul food to gear up for upcoming holidays.
Hidden Corners of the Jewish Quarter
Fully booked, but worth noting: on May 17, guide Kata Nádas leads a deep dive into District VII’s secrets—the Kazinczy Street mikveh, the Great Synagogue (Dohány Street Synagogue), and a taste of kosher flódni at Carmel. Meeting point: the Sisi statue at Madách Square (Madách tér) (1075 Budapest, Madách Imre tér 7). Event photos and recordings may be used on EMIH channels.
