A packed calendar from the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation lines up study circles, kids’ afternoons, food workshops, heritage walks, theater history, memory training, and holiday gatherings in Budapest and beyond. It’s Judaism, stage, music, food, knowledge, strolls, and celebrations rolled into one—and most of it repeats weekly, so you can drop in as life allows.
Havruta: House of Learning Together
Back for a third year, Havruta keeps its momentum at Zsilip with paired and small-group learning in the spirit of the yeshiva, built on a love of study and commitment to community. Wednesdays: 5:30 pm The Era of the Messiah—philosophy and halacha with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander; 6:30 pm The Book of Mitzvot—the 613 commandments with Rabbi Jonatán Megyeri. Mondays: 6:30 pm On the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Sámuel Glitzenstein; 7:30 pm The role of women in Judaism with Rebbetzin Sarah Nógrádi. Participation is free but requires registration; sessions welcome halachically Jewish participants and allow rolling entry. Venue: Zsilip, 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1.
KiddieTime: Wednesdays in Óbuda
Every Wednesday 4:30–6:00 pm at the Óbuda Synagogue (1036 Budapest, Lajos utca 163), ages 3–10 get music, playful Jewish learning by age group, and a parent-child rhythm: first a musical session, then kids learn while parents boost their Hebrew in a mini language course, and finally everyone reunites for a Krav Maga closer. Repeats on May 13, 20, and 27.
Secret Corners of the Jewish Quarter – Sold Out
The Seventh District is world-famous, yet many locals have never entered a mikveh. This guided walk unlocks the ritual bath on Kazinczy Street, explores the Kazinczy Street Synagogue, and stops at Carmel restaurant for authentic kosher flódni bites. It begins at the Sisi statue on Madách Square, tracing the vanished Orczy House that once anchored Jewish life and the quarter’s stormy history. Guide: Kata Nádas. May 17, meeting point: 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre tér 7. Photos and audio may be recorded and shared.
Zsiliputi Jewish Sunday School
Sunday mornings return to the two-floor Zsilip playhouse and learning rooms with a refreshed program for ages 4–14. From 10:00 to 12:30, kids prep for holidays, learn mitzvot, meet traditions, and pick up values that last. Whether pre–Bar/Bat Mitzvah or edging into the teen “youth leader” lane, this is built for them. Dates: May 17, 24, 31. Venue: Zsilip, 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1.
Fusion Foods: Learn, Cook, Think
Fuel the mind and feed the body—our brains burn 20–25 percent of the body’s energy, after all. This thematic cooking class starts with a short study as an “appetizer,” then dives into hands-on culinary technique. Intro study by Rebbetzin Tzivia Myers; workshop led by chef Balázs Sepsi. Register online and pay on site. Registration fee: $13.70. Venue: Jewish House Szentendre, 2000 Szentendre, Pátriarka utca 6. Date: May 17.
Esztergom’s Jewish Footprints: Matzah, Liqueur, Memory
Discover Esztergom’s lesser-known Jewish heritage—from a 3rd-century gravestone to a former mikveh—on a two-hour, roughly 1.2-mile walk with city historian Zoltán Aguera. Expect a reveal about where liqueur enters the story. Meeting point: Mindszenty Cardinal Primate Square (Mindszenty hercegprímás tér) 1, Esztergom. Price: $13.70; with Haver Card: $12.35. Date: May 17.
Kabbalah Mondays with Rabbi Oberlander
Weekly 7:00 pm Kabbalah class at the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue, 1061 Budapest, Vasvári Pál utca 5. Dates include May 18, 25, and June 1.
Memory Lab Training
“Memories are like winding paths between brain cells. The well-trodden stay; the rarely used grow over and vanish,” writes Anders Hansen. This “mental aerobics,” designed especially for ages 50+, keeps cognition, memory, and focus in shape—but all ages are welcome. Fee: $5.50. Venue: Óbuda Synagogue, Lajos utca 163. Dates: May 18 and June 1.
Tea & Torah Tuesdays in Kecskemét
A soothing blend of five o’clock tea vibes and Torah clarity every Tuesday with Rabbi Shalom Ber at Jewish House Kecskemét, 6000 Kecskemét, Katona József tér 12. Dates: May 19, 26, June 2.
Paper Flowers for Shavuot
As Sinai bloomed at the giving of the Torah, craft paper blossoms that can brighten Shavuot for years. Led by recurring women’s learning guest Hanna Somogyi. Doors: 6:30 pm. Fee: $5.50. Photos and audio may be recorded and shared. Venue: Óbuda Synagogue, May 19.
Havruta with Rebbetzin Nógrádi
Cut through the punctuation marks—question and exclamation—and learn the real role of women in Judaism. Free with registration; halachically Jewish participants, rolling entry. Zsilip, May 20, 7:30 pm.
Shavuot at the Vasvári (Night 1)
Celebrate the intensity of revelation with talks, study, prayer, and a festive dinner on May 21. Program: 7:00 pm talk by Menachem Gyuri Szabó; 8:00 pm Mincha; 8:15 pm talk by Rabbi Baruch Oberlander; 9:05 pm evening service; 9:45 pm festive meal, study, and roundtable. Venue: 1061 Budapest, Vasvári Pál utca 5. Night 2 continues May 22 with communal prayer, the Ten Commandments reading, Kiddush, evening talks, and shared learning.
Make-At-Home Magic: Kitchen Spices
Light crafts, easy learning, relaxed conversation, and soulful bites as we prep for upcoming holidays together. Jewish House Szentendre, Pátriarka utca 6, May 24.
Theater Tales and Quiz
Dive into the lore of Kálmán Latabár, Juci Komlós, and József Székhelyi—stories, backstage secrets, and aphorisms—with theater historian Ágnes Szebényi from the Bajor Gizi Museum. Székhelyi, who also received the Miklós Radnóti anti-racism award, is a focus: where did the courage come from? Quiz date: June 8, 10:00 am. Fee: $5.50; Haver Card: $4.10. Óbuda Synagogue, May 27.
Havruta: The Messianic Era Focus
Return to the Havruta house for a deep dive on the messianic age with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander. Free with registration; halachically Jewish participants, rolling entry. Zsilip, May 27, 5:30 pm.
Crypts, Tombs, and Art in Stone
Explore the closed Salgótarjáni Street Jewish Cemetery with guides Dr. László Negyela and architect Zorán Vukoszávlyev (Budapest University of Technology and Economics), from Béla Lajta’s monumental graves to the turul at Vilmos Vázsonyi’s resting place. Learn burial customs and the site’s history. Photos and audio may be recorded and shared. Venue: 1086 Budapest, Salgótarjáni utca 6. Date: May 31.
Blood Libels, Old and New: Seminar
At Röser Courtyard, Károly körút 22, Professor Rachel Elior—twice head of the Hebrew University Department of Jewish Thought and the John and Golda Cohen Professor—leads a seminar charting anti-Jewish narratives from early blood libels through legal, literary, and theological channels to modern echoes, and their impact on identity and movements like Hasidism. Date: June 1.
