JCC Budapest CEO raising awareness of Hungary’s Jewish life

Marcel Kenesei, CEO of JCC Budapest, spoke Nov. 6 at Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights during a congregational Shabbat dinner and shared the story of how Hungary’s Jewish community has rebuilt its identity and traditions after decades marked by the Holocaust and communist rule. “I come to Cleveland to tell the story of Hungarian Jewish revival,” Kenesei said. “And I think it’s a remarkable story that not enough people in the U.S. know.” Kenesei’s connection to Jewish life began when he was 13 years old and discovered his Jewish roots while attending a Jewish school. Growing up, his family had kept their Jewish identity a secret. “I started this journey and eventually it got me so excited that not only it gave me an identity, it also gave me a mission for life and a professional career,” he said. After completing Jewish high school and attending university, Kenesei decided to dedicate his professional life to strengthening the Jewish community. JCC Budapest was established in 1994 to provide a space for Hungarians who had lost their connection to Jewish traditions, heritage and culture. Kenesei described the center as Jewish space where people can explore their heritage and become involved in community life. According to Kenesei, Hungary has a Jewish population of about 120,000, with about 20,000 actively involved in Jewish life. In the early 1990s, following the fall of the Iron Curtain, only about 2,000 people openly identified as Jewish. He said Jewish schools, summer camps and community centers, supported largely by American Jewish philanthropy and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, helped rebuild Jewish identity. “They became cornerstones of rebuilding Jewish identity. And more and more people like myself started to not only discover about their past, but also to be actively engaged,” he said. Kenesei said the purpose of his visit is also to recognize the contributions of American Jews and encourage stronger relationships between Jewish communities around the world. “We would not be a vibrant Jewish community if there were no American Jews who would have invested and who still keep investing in Jewish community development all over the world,” he said. He hopes to encourage American Jews to visit Hungary, meet members of its Jewish community and experience the changes that have taken place over the past three decades. He said building connections between Hungarian, American and Israeli Jewish communities is especially important today. In addition to Cleveland, Kenesei planned to visit Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Toronto during his trip. Through these visits, he hopes to raise awareness of Hungary’s Jewish revival and strengthen international Jewish relationships.