Budapest’s oldest synagogue, the Óbuda Synagogue (Óbudai Zsinagóga) at 1036 Budapest, Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, has become a lively symbol of Hungary’s renewing Jewish community. In a district where Jewish life nearly faded during the socialist decades, locals are redrawing Óbuda’s Jewish face with a full slate of programs that mix tradition, culture, learning, and play. Here’s what’s on the calendar for May and June 2026—and beyond.
Mind Fitness for All Ages
Memorialab – Memory Training lands on multiple Mondays: May 4, May 18, and June 1. Designed primarily as mental aerobics for people over 50, the sessions aim to keep cognitive function, memory, and concentration in shape—refreshed and improved—though all ages are welcome. The mantra comes from Anders Hansen’s book Fit Brain (Edzett agy): “Memories are like paths winding among brain cells. The well-trodden road remains; where we walked only a few times, the path grows over and disappears.” Expect practical exercises, plenty of encouragement, and a friendly, open crowd in Budapest.
Wednesdays Are for Kids (and Parents)
KiddieTime takes over every Wednesday from 16:30 to 18:00 in Óbuda for children aged 3–10. The afternoon blends music, learning, games, and movement—everything Jewish, scaled to different age groups. First up is a musical session for kids with parents, followed by playful Jewish learning for the children while the adults build their Hebrew skills in a language class. Parents then rejoin their kids for a closing burst of krav maga. Catch it on May 6, 13, 20, 27, and June 3 in Budapest.
Oxford Meets the Rabbi: The Future of Humanity
On May 8, TalkSló features a big-ideas conversation with behavioral researcher and University of Oxford lecturer Tamás Dávid-Barrett and Orthodox Rabbi Slomó Köves. The theme: the future of humanity. Time has sped up—last month is prehistory, and the next month could bring light-years of change. When a scientist devotes his career to tracing those shifts at one of the world’s top universities and then debates them with an Orthodox rabbi, things get fascinating. Out of respect for the sanctity of the Sabbath, please don’t use mobile phones or electronic devices inside the synagogue. Tickets are $18.99, or $16.15 with a Haver Card.
Stage Legends, Secrets, and a Quiz
The audience favorite Theater Stories and Quiz (Színháztörténetek és vetélkedő) returns with theater historian Ágnes Szebényi of the Bajor Gizi Actor Museum. Three stage legends of Jewish origin take the spotlight through stories, backstage secrets, anecdotes, and aphorisms: Kálmán Latabár, Juci Komlós, and József Székhelyi.
Juci Komlós, a member of a phenomenal acting dynasty, piled up awards and an even wider array of unforgettable stage and film roles. Who was she, really? Her dedicated session runs May 11 at 10:00. József Székhelyi, honored with the anti-racist Miklós Radnóti Prize, was never ordinary—on stage or as a citizen. Where did that courage come from? His focus session is May 27 at 10:00. The grand quiz, where you can test your freshly gained knowledge about all three performers, takes place June 8 at 10:00. Each event is $5.51, or $4.13 with a Haver Card.
Shavuot in Bloom: Paper Flowers Workshop
On May 19, the women’s learning circle welcomes returning guest Hanna Somogyi for a hands-on workshop: Shavuot paper-flower making. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, when, tradition says, Mount Sinai burst into bloom in an instant. This time, the celebration zeroes in on those flowers. With Somogyi’s creative guidance, participants will craft paper blooms that can brighten homes for years, recalling new bread, the giving of the Torah, and this year’s Shavuot. Doors open at 18:30. Tickets are $5.51.
June’s Theater Quiz Finale
If you’ve been following the theater series, the Theater History Quiz (Színháztörténeti vetélkedő) on June 8 in Óbuda is where it all comes together—secrets, legends, and rapid-fire recall about Latabár, Komlós, and Székhelyi. Same friendly price: $5.51, or $4.13 with a Haver Card.
What Else Is Happening Nearby
The Óbuda program aligns with a wider Jewish cultural revival around Budapest and beyond in May and June. Highlights include: Zsilip Jewish Sunday School (Zsiliputi Zsidó Vasárnapi Iskola) on multiple Sundays in Budapest’s 13th District (Újpesti rakpart 1); HAVRUTA – House of Learning Together on Mondays and Wednesdays at the same address; and regular Kabbalah classes with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander at the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue (1061 Budapest, Vasvári Pál utca 5) on May 4, 11, 18, 25, and into June (1, 8, 15, 22, 29).
Around the region, look for Tea & Torah every Tuesday with Rabbi Shalom Ber in Kecskemét (Katona József tér 12); Stetl Jewish City Walks like Menorah and Cobblestone – To Szentendre! (Menóra és macskakő – Irány Szentendre!) and In Search of Crypts and Tombstones (Kripták és síremlékek nyomában); plus culinary and lifestyle workshops in Szentendre: Street Food on May 17; Home Magic? Kitchen Spice! (Otthoni bűvszer? Konyhai fűszer!) on May 24; Fusion Foods (Fúziós ételek) on June 7; Women’s Protection? Self-Defense! (Nővédelem? Önvédelem!) on June 14; and a community bake on June 18.
On June 24, don’t miss Michael Calvin and Naftali Schiff presenting Miracle – Hungarian Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber (Csoda – Magyar fiúk, akik megmenekültek a gázkamrából). Summer stretches further with Camp Balaton in Balatonőszöd, July 5–16. For those craving steady study, Kabbalah classes continue weekly through June in Budapest’s 6th District and at the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue.
At Óbuda, the door is open—whether you’re stretching your memory, raising multilingual kids with rhythm and krav maga, debating humanity’s next century, or folding Shavuot into paper petals that never wilt. It’s an old synagogue, yes—but in 2026, it’s very much alive.
