The Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue in Budapest is doubling down on what it was built for: prayer, study, and community. “This building was built for worship and for honoring the Torah by the leaders of Budapest’s Sász Chevra. Sász Chevra means Talmud Society, so learning is front and center here,” says Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, head of Vasvári and the founder of Chabad in Hungary. The synagogue at 1061 Budapest, Vasvári Pál utca 5, in District VI (Terézváros), lays out a detailed weekly rhythm of services and learning, alongside a full slate of Monday-night Kabbalah and Talmud sessions running through spring and early summer 2026.
Where and When
Venue: Sász Chevra Synagogue (Vasvári Pál u. 5., 1061 Budapest). The organizers reserve the right to change schedules and programs. For those traveling in, the synagogue provides information on details, timing, accommodation, and food and drink options, ensuring regulars and first-timers can plug in seamlessly.
Weekly Prayer Times
Fridays at Vasvári run like a heartbeat: 15:50 Mincha (afternoon prayer), 16:20 Welcoming Shabbat with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, 17:10 Kiddush and dinner upstairs with the rabbi, and 18:10 a post-meal learning session led by him. Saturdays open with 9:15 morning prayers with Rabbi Oberlander. The afternoon stretches into 15:30 Mincha, seudah shlishit (the third Shabbat meal) and learning from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), plus evening prayer (Maariv) with the rabbi. A 16:40 evening prayer time is also noted. From Sunday to Friday, morning prayers begin at 8:10. On Thursdays, the morning service is streamed via Zoom for those who can’t attend in person.
There’s also a simplified guide: weekday morning prayers at 8:00 (Sunday through Friday), Shabbat welcome and Kiddush at 18:00 throughout winter from November, and Shabbat morning prayers at 9:15. Thursday’s morning prayers can be followed online via Zoom, extending the synagogue’s reach well beyond Terézváros.
Learning That Anchors the Week
The synagogue’s calendar is as much classroom as sanctuary. On Mondays from 21:00 to 22:00, participants explore the Book of Samuel with the help of Gyuri Szabó, reading and unpacking the kingdom’s founding narratives and Saul and David’s complex arc. Thursdays from 19:30 to 21:00 are devoted to learning the language of Hebrew liturgy with Rabbi Oberlander—a practical deep dive into the words prayed every day. Thursdays from 21:00 to 22:00, Szabó returns to discuss the current weekly Torah portion, opening the text and commentaries. Fridays from 17:00 to 18:00, the study of the weekly portion continues with Szabó, running straight into the communal Shabbat welcome and prayers.
Mondays: Kabbalah, Then Talmud
If Monday is your study night, Vasvári has you covered. The Kabbalah class with Rabbi Baruch Oberlander welcomes everyone at 19:00, weekly at the synagogue, making mystical thought accessible and grounded. At 20:00, the focus turns to Talmud. The rabbi leads a weekly Talmud learning session where participants jointly translate and analyze the text, gaining deeper insight into rabbinic thinking. It’s a hands-on, rigorous exploration, built for those dipping in for the first time and regulars determined to master the give-and-take of the page.
Spring–Early Summer 2026 Dates
Budapest hosts a steady run of Monday programs at Vasvári. Mark these dates:
– 2026.04.27: 19:00 Kabbalah class with Rabbi Oberlander; 20:00 Talmud learning with Rabbi Oberlander at Vasvári Pál Street Synagogue.
– 2026.05.04: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.05.11: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.05.18: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.05.25: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.06.01: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.06.08: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.06.15: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.06.22: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.06.29: 19:00 Kabbalah class; 20:00 Talmud learning.
– 2026.07.06: 20:00 Talmud learning (the Kabbalah session is not listed for this date).
Each Monday session carries the same open invitation: join, translate, discuss, and think together. The Talmud track is designed as a collaborative reading circle, where language, logic, and law meet in real time around a table. The Kabbalah hour offers a contemplative warm-up, bringing the mystical architecture of Jewish thought into conversation with daily life and prayer.
Inside the Sász Chevra Tradition
The Sász Chevra name—the Talmud Society—signals the ethos at Vasvári: unwavering emphasis on study. That learning happens in the glow of Shabbat dinners, in the murmur of Thursday night classes, and during Monday’s weekly deep dives. The schedule shapes a week that doesn’t just pass; it accumulates meaning. With morning prayers anchoring weekdays, a community Zoom-in on Thursdays for those afar, and a wintertime early Shabbat welcome at 18:00, the rhythm is inclusive and steady.
Plan Your Visit
The synagogue is centrally located at 1061 Budapest, 6th District (Terézváros), Vasvári Pál utca 5. Keep an eye on updates: organizers reserve the right to change times and programs. If you’re coming from out of town or coordinating group visits, look up details on timing, accommodation, and food and drink. Then step in on a Friday for Mincha, a warm Kiddush dinner, and learning with Rabbi Oberlander—or arrive on a Monday evening for Kabbalah followed by Talmud. Either way, Vasvári is ready with a seat, a page, and a welcome.
