Budapest’s oldest synagogue, the Óbuda Synagogue at 1036 Budapest, District III – Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, has become the living symbol of a reborn Hungarian Jewish community. Decades after socialism nearly erased its presence, locals are redrawing Óbuda’s Jewish face with a full slate of learning, arts, family, and holiday events through early summer 2026. Here’s what’s on, what it costs, and where to plug in—whether you’re bringing kids, chasing culture, or just eager to learn.
Every Wednesday: KiddieTime takes over the afternoon
The synagogue’s weekly family anchor, KiddieTime, runs every Wednesday from 16:30 to 18:00 for ages 3–10. It’s simple and spirited: music with parents to start, playful learning about Judaism for the kids while parents dip into a Hebrew-language course, then everyone reunites to wrap up with a burst of krav maga. Dates in May and June: May 6, 13, 20, 27, and June 3, all in Óbuda at Lajos utca 163, Budapest. Expect singing, learning, games, movement, and a low-stress on-ramp to community life for young families.
May 8: The future of humanity, Oxford-style, in Óbuda
Behavioral scientist Tamás Dávid-Barrett, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, sits down with Rabbi Slomó Köves for a TalkSló conversation on humanity’s future. The premise: time feels compressed; weeks flip into prehistory, and a month can bring seismic shifts. How do we prepare for cascading new realities? When a scholar dedicates his career to this question and pairs with an Orthodox rabbi, the discussion gets thrilling—if not exactly simple. Shabbat sanctity rules apply: please don’t use phones or electronic devices inside the synagogue. Tickets: 6,900 HUF (about 18.70 USD); with Haver Card: 5,865 HUF (about 15.90 USD). Location: Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, Budapest.
May–June: Theater stories and a live quiz
The hit series Színháztörténetek és vetélkedő (Theater Stories and Quiz) returns with theater historian Ágnes Szebényi of the Bajor Gizi Actors’ Museum, spotlighting three legends of Jewish origin through secrets, backstage lore, anecdotes, and aphorisms—then testing what you learned in a friendly quiz finale.
– May 11, 10:00: Juci Komlós (Komlós Juci). A phenomenal member of a powerhouse acting dynasty, with awards too many to count—and an even longer list of stage and film roles. But who was she, really?
– May 27, 10:00: József Székhelyi (Székhelyi József). Beyond professional honors, he received the Miklós Radnóti anti-racism prize. He wasn’t ordinary as a citizen, let alone as an actor. Where did that courage come from?
– June 8, 10:00: Theater History Quiz, covering Kálmán Latabár (Latabár Kálmán), Juci Komlós (Komlós Juci), and József Székhelyi (Székhelyi József).
Tickets: 2,000 HUF (about 5.42 USD); with Haver Card: 1,500 HUF (about 4.07 USD). Venue: Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, Budapest.
Memory Lab: mental aerobics for all ages
Memorialab – Memory Training brings Anders Hansen’s insights to life: memories are like winding paths among brain cells; the well-trodden ones endure, the seldom-used overgrow and vanish. Designed primarily for those 50+, this “mental aerobics” keeps cognition, memory, and concentration in shape. Open to everyone. Dates: May 18 and June 1, in Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, Budapest.
May 19: Paper flowers for Shavuot
As Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah and Sinai’s sudden bloom, the women’s learning circle welcomes back creative lead Hanna Somogyi to teach paper flower-making. It’s a hands-on way to honor the holiday with blooms that can last for years, reminding you of new bread and revelation. Doors open 18:30. Tickets: 2,000 HUF (about 5.42 USD). Óbuda, Lajos utca 163, Budapest.
Beyond Óbuda: learning, tours, and culture
The Óbuda Synagogue’s calendar connects with a wider web of Jewish learning and cultural life across Budapest, Szentendre, Esztergom, Kecskemét, and Balatonőszöd.
– Havruta – House of Learning Together: recurring sessions at Újpesti rakpart 1, District XIII, Wednesdays and Mondays, plus special evenings with Rebbetzin Sarah Nógrádi and Rabbi Baruch Oberlander.
– Tea & Torah with Rabbi Shalom Ber: every Tuesday at Katona József tér 12, Kecskemét (6000).
– Kabbalah with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander: at the Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue (Vasvári Pál utca 5), 1061 Budapest, Terézváros, on multiple Mondays in May and June.
– Stetl Jewish City Walks and more: Menorah and Cobblestone – Off to Szentendre! (Menóra és macskakő – Irány Szentendre!) on May 10; In Search of Crypts and Tombstones (Kripták és síremlékek nyomában) on May 31; Matzah, Liqueur, Esztergom (Macesz, likőr, Esztergom) on May 17; and a fully booked insider tour of the Jewish Quarter’s hidden sites on May 17.
– Exhibitions and talks: András Halász exhibition (Halász András kiállítása) in Szentendre (May 10); Blood Libels, Old and New with Professor Rachel Elior (June 1); Michael Calvin – Naftali Schiff: Miracle – Hungarian Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber (Csoda – Magyar fiúk, akik megmenekültek a gázkamrából) on June 24.
– Hands-on Szentendre programs: Fusion cooking workshops May 17 and June 7; Home Magic? Kitchen Spice! on May 24; Women’s self-defense on June 14; June community baking on June 18.
– Family anchor: Zsiliputi Jewish Sunday School on multiple Sundays in District XIII.
– Summer camp: Camp Balaton returns July 5–16 in Balatonőszöd (8637).
Plan your visit
The Óbuda Synagogue is at Lajos utca 163 in District III. Many programs list “info” or note door times; check event pages for registration. Prices are in HUF; rough conversions are provided: 6,900 HUF ≈ 18.70 USD; 5,865 HUF ≈ 15.90 USD; 2,000 HUF ≈ 5.42 USD; 1,500 HUF ≈ 4.07 USD. KiddieTime runs every Wednesday in the late afternoon. The Oxford evening is on May 8. Theater history spotlights Juci Komlós on May 11 and József Székhelyi on May 27, and the quiz crowns it on June 8. Memory Lab meets May 18 and June 1. Shavuot blooms with paper flowers on May 19.
Come for the songs, stay for the stories, and leave with a community that’s rewriting Óbuda’s Jewish map in real time.
