The refurbished Mád Rabbi’s House was inaugurated in the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County village on Thursday. The building is the start and end point of the North-Hungary Jewish pilgrimage route called the Footsteps of the Wonder Rabbis.
Slomó Köves, chief rabbi of the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH) stressed in his ceremonial speech held in the local synagogue that everyone should be thanked who contributed to the renovation of the Rabbi’s House, but the Jewish community owes the greatest gratitude to those who have preserved its spiritual heritage, and who do not let „the flame of the Torah go out” even today.
The chief rabbi reiterated that, according to some records, Jewish men engaged in the wine trade visited Mád already in 1609, and there is official data originating from 1726 that Mád had Jewish inhabitants. By 1836 no fewer than eight Jewish families lived in the locality. He said that the Tokaj-hegyalja region is the cradle of Jewish spiritualism in Hungary, of Hungarian Hasidism. According to his account, the construction of the Rabbi’s House which has now been refurbished was a condition of the appointment of Rabbi Amram Blum (1864-1881). It was laid down in the rabbi’s employment contract that he was required to guarantee that at least ten Jewish youths study the Torah at all times. In return for this, the community supported the rabbi scholars (bocher).
Mr Köves further mentioned that the Jewish community in Mád also took part in the life of the local community. According to some records, they supported the soldiers of the 1848 freedom fight with a contribution of 300 forints, took part in World War I, and organised a collection at the beginning of the 30s for the erection of a memorial for the heroes who died in the world war. The entire community was forcibly taken away during the Holocaust, in 1944.
Nándor Csepreghy, Minister of State at the Prime Minister’s Office pointed out that the Government is seeking to establish cooperation and an ongoing dialogue with Jewish organisations, and continuously supports their religious and social work. In the last few years the Cabinet has paid particular attention to the preservation of Jewish culture and heritage, and as part of this launched a comprehensive synagogue refurbishment programme as well as a programme for the renovation of Jewish cemeteries and burial sites in Hungary. These are the Government’s priority developments as well, he said.
In his words, the purpose of the initiatives launched and the developments implemented to date is to create genuine communal spaces with state assistance. These venues, such as the rabbi’s house and the pilgrimage route are capable of „bringing us closer together”, he added. In his welcome speech Mr Csepreghy highlighted that the Rabbi’s House is a museum and a communal space all at once which, in addition to showcasing the local culture and memories of several centuries, also offers accommodation and a meeting point to the guests visiting here.
At the end of the ceremony, the attendees placed the mezuzah, the piece of parchment symbolising divine protection and blessing on the door of the Rabbi’s House. Among others, the event was attended by Csaba Latorcai, Deputy State Secretary for Priority Social Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office and Ilan Mor, Israeli Ambassador to Budapest.
The Mád Rabbi’s House was refurbished as part of the development of the 150-kilometre-long pilgrimage route which connects together the Jewish cultural heritage sites of the Tokaj-hegyalja region. EMIH received EU grants worth HUF 460 million for the implementation of the HUF 525 million project. Within the framework of the project, the three-storey building with a ground space of eight hundred square metres accommodates an interactive exhibition which showcases the lives and Jewish folk elements of the Jewish families living in the vicinity. Visitors may gain an insight into the everyday life of the traditional Jewish community, may acquaint themselves with the teachings of the wonder rabbis, and may obtain an understanding of traditional Jewish education, religious life and the significance of prayers.
In addition to the exhibition space, the Rabbi’s House also offers pilgrimage accommodation for 32 persons which will be available to pilgrims and tourists regardless of their religious affiliation, and will further serve as a venue of children’s camps and youth and community events.