Budapest’s Zsilip Community Center, at 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1, throws open its doors in 2026 with a packed calendar for all ages and backgrounds. The space champions curiosity and easy connections to Jewish culture, with a kosher café and bagel bar, music, theater, study programs, and a two-level playhouse. Expect hands-on learning, communal conversations, and plenty of reasons to linger.
Where and when
Location: 1137 Budapest, District 13, Újpesti rakpart 1. The organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
Zsiliputi Jewish Sunday School returns
The beloved Sunday kids’ program is back under a new name: Zsiliputi Jewish Sunday School (Zsiliputi Zsidó Vasárnapi Iskola). Running on multiple Sundays—May 10, 17, 24, 31, and June 7—between 10:00 and 12:30, it welcomes children and teens aged 4–14 for age-based sessions. Kids prep for holidays together, learn about mitzvot, discover traditions, and absorb values designed to stick for life. Whether tiny or teen, pre- or post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or already gearing up to be a youth leader, this is tailored for you. Fresh facilities include a two-story play area and several study rooms, and the vibe is all about fun-first learning and lasting memories.
“Babylon Dossier” — a monodrama of survival and silence
On May 10 in Budapest, the stage hosts a singular monodrama rooted in an extraordinary camp diary. At 30, the radiant, young writer Olga Galló was deported with her mother to Auschwitz. She kept a diary there and in subsequent camps, snatching paper and pencils even at the price of her food rations. Writing became her survival, a lifeline out of the unbearable present into the past and the life she longed to reclaim. She survived, but lost everything: her mother, her dearest sibling, her home, even the creative force that once sustained her. In the postwar world she pretended nothing had happened—and did not touch the diary. Only two decades later, after a nervous breakdown and on medical advice, did she retrieve it and decide to publish. The Kádár-era climate of suppressed trauma was no friend to that resolve, yet she did not back down.
Her diary, alongside her correspondence documenting the struggle to publish her book, is reborn onstage as a unique monodrama: Babylon Dossier (Babilon dosszié). Galló’s granddaughter, Andrea Fullajtár, delivers a piercingly personal performance. As it traverses the darkest chapters of 20th‑century Europe, the piece also captures the absurd, tragicomic tone of socialism, teasing out a bittersweet smile. The script uses the manuscript of Olga Galló’s Ten Months in Babylon (Tíz hónap Babilon) and her letters. Performed by: Andrea Fullajtár. Writer: Olga Galló. Dramaturg: Róbert Solt. Music: Botond Lelkes. Poster photo: Péter Németh. Poster design: László Csáfordi. Director: Máté Szabó. Tickets: 5,900 Ft (about $16.20); with Haver Card: 5,015 Ft (about $13.80).
Havruta: House of Learning Together — Mondays
Every Monday in Budapest, Havruta – House of Learning Together (Havruta – Együtt Tanulás Háza) holds two sessions:
– 18:30: On the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Sámuel Glitzenstein
– 19:30: The role of women in Judaism with Rebbetzin Sarah Nógrádi
These evenings emphasize learning as a worldview and part of daily life, welcoming those who want to explore tradition and text through dialogue.
Havruta: House of Learning Together — Wednesdays
Now in its third consecutive year, Havruta continues midweek at Zsilip with two hours every Wednesday. The program champions communal study in small groups, in the spirit of yeshivas, to internalize ancient knowledge through shared thinking and debate. The door is open to all in the community who are thirsty for knowledge.
Schedule on Wednesdays:
– 17:30: The Messianic era: philosophy and halacha — with Rabbi Báruch Oberlander
– 18:30: The Book of Mitzvot: the 613 commandments — with Rabbi Jonatán Megyeri
Focus on women’s learning
On May 20 at 19:30 in Budapest, Rebbetzin Sarah Nógrádi leads Havruta sessions dedicated to clearing up the question marks—and exclamation points—around the real role of women in Judaism. Participation is free but requires registration. The study welcomes halachically Jewish participants and accepts new learners year-round.
Deep dive with Rabbi Oberlander
On May 27 at 17:30, Havruta opens its doors again for a concentrated learning circle with Rabbi Báruch Oberlander on the era of the Messiah. Attendance is free with registration; the study is for halachically Jewish participants and remains open to newcomers throughout the year. Venue: Zsilip, 1137 Budapest, Újpesti rakpart 1.
Keep an eye on updates
The calendar rolls onward into late May and early June with Monday and Wednesday Havruta sessions and the Zsiliputi Sunday School dates listed above. As ever, programs and timings may change. Zsilip’s calling card remains the same: an easy, vivid way to meet Jewish culture—through a bagel and coffee, a powerful monodrama, a spirited class, or a child’s first holiday craft—under one roof on the Danube.
