At 1061 Budapest, Terézváros, 5 Vasvári Pál Street, the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue keeps its doors open to prayer, study, and community—true to its roots as the home of the Budapest Talmud Society. “This building was built for worship and to honor the Torah by the leaders of the Budapest Sász Chevra. Sász Chevra means Talmud Society, so there’s a strong emphasis on learning here,” says Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, head of Vasvári and founder of Chabad in Hungary.
Daily and Weekly Prayer Times
The Sász Chevra Synagogue runs a steady rhythm of services anchored by community and tradition. On Fridays, the schedule builds to a warm crescendo: 15:50 Mincha (afternoon prayer), 16:20 welcoming Shabbat with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, 17:10 Kiddush and dinner upstairs with the rabbi, then learning at 18:10. Saturday opens at 9:15 with morning prayers led by Rabbi Oberlander, and the afternoon brings Mincha at 15:30, a seudah shlishit meal and study of Pirkei Avot, followed by evening prayer (Ma’ariv) with the rabbi. A separate evening service is also listed at 16:40.
From Sunday to Friday, weekday mornings begin at 8:10 with Shacharit, and on Thursdays the morning service streams live on Zoom for those joining remotely. A general schedule notes weekday morning prayers at 8:00 (Sunday through Friday), Shabbat welcoming and Kiddush at 18:00 across the winter months starting in November, and Shabbat morning prayers every week at 9:15. The blend of in-person and online access keeps the door wide open to regulars and newcomers alike.
Learning at the Core
Learning is the beating heart of Vasvári’s program. Monday nights, 21:00–22:00, the community dives into the Book of Samuel with guidance from Gyuri Szabó. Thursdays are full: 19:30–21:00 Hebrew liturgy and language learning with Rabbi Oberlander, and then 21:00–22:00 Gyuri Szabó breaks down the weekly Torah portion. Fridays, 17:00–18:00, the weekly portion continues with Szabó—flowing straight into Kabbalat Shabbat and prayer. It’s an unbroken chain of study that takes the community from text to practice just as Shabbat arrives.
Mondays: Kabbalah and Talmud
Monday evenings are set as a two-part learning night. At 19:00, the Kabbalah class welcomes everyone into Jewish mysticism with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander at the Vasvári Synagogue. At 20:00, the weekly Talmud session opens its pages: participants translate and analyze Talmudic passages together, building deeper insight into rabbinic thought and method. This rhythm repeats throughout late spring and early summer:
2026.05.18: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.05.25: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.06.01: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.06.08: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.06.15: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.06.22: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.06.29: Kabbalah at 19:00; Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
2026.07.06: Talmud at 20:00. Budapest.
Shavuot at Vasvári: First Evening
The synagogue invites the community to celebrate Shavuot with learning, prayer, and shared meals—recreating the sense of receiving the Torah together. On 2026.05.21, the first evening lines up inspiration and study in a rich sequence: 19:00—lecture by Menachem Gyuri Szabó; 20:00—Mincha (afternoon prayer); 20:15—lecture by Rabbi Baruch Oberlander; 21:05—festive evening prayer; 21:45—festive meal, learning sessions, and roundtable conversation. Registration is encouraged to secure a place at the table and in the study circle.
Shavuot Day One and Night Two
On 2026.05.22, the first day of Shavuot carries the central moments of the holiday: communal prayers, the public reading of the Ten Commandments, and a festive Kiddush. The second evening keeps the flame burning with more talks, study, and community programming—an invitation to spend a full day and night in the spirit of tradition and celebration.
Shavuot Day Two and Farewell
The holiday closes on 2026.05.23 with a full second-day program and a warm send-off. Morning begins at 9:15 with Shacharit, the festive morning service; at 10:45, Yizkor (Mázkir) is recited; 11:00 brings the Priestly Blessing; and 11:45 marks a festive Kiddush. The Shavuot farewell on the same day moves into evening: 19:30—Mincha, the festive afternoon prayer; 20:00—farbrengen, a heartfelt gathering and farewell; 21:22—Ma’ariv and Havdalah to close the holiday. It’s a schedule shaped for inspiration, community connection, and the reflective sweetness Shavuot is loved for.
Where and How to Join
All programs take place at the Sász Chevra Synagogue, 5 Vasvári Pál Street, in Budapest’s 6th District, Terézváros. The house style—davening, learning, and communal tables—is designed to bring regulars and first-timers into the same circle. Thursday morning services are also accessible via Zoom, making it easy to connect from wherever you are.
In the words of Rabbi Oberlander, the synagogue exists for worship and to honor the Torah, under the banner of the Talmud Society—so learning is never just an add-on. It’s the organizing principle, turning ordinary weekdays into study halls and holidays into live classrooms. Whether it’s Kabbalah at 19:00, Talmud at 20:00, or Shavuot’s round-the-clock immersion, Vasvári is inviting Budapest to open a book, lift a prayer, and pull up a chair.
