News

2010. március 1. 

2010. február 11. 

2010. február 2. 

Link to the Karoli Bet Kneset

2008. február 13. 

2007. december 20. 

2007. augusztus 31. 

2007. augusztus 28. 

2007. április 27. 

2007. március 2. 

2006. november 19. 

Kazincbarcika

2006. október 30. 

Following successful negotiations on October 26, 2006, yet another mayor confirmed his support for our efforts. The young mayor of Kazincbarcika, Mr Péter Sztka, offered all the assistance necessary for the renovation of the cemetery. With the help of Mr József Kurecskó and the mayor we hope the enormous Jewish cemetery at Kazincbarcika will be restored sooner or later.

From Ózd to Kazincbarcika

2006. október 22. 

I was immensely taken by surprise  at my office early October.  I got a call by  Mr József Kurecskó, a gardening entrepreneur from Ózd, who offered his help. He is willing to support our foundation by renovating some of our cemeteries free of charge. We do thank him for his generous offer. We visited Mr Kurecskó on October 21, 2006, who treated us to mutton stew. After a pleasant lunch we discussed which would be the 12 (!) cemeteries for him to launch the renovation works.  He showed us the cemeteries of neighbouring villages. After that we decided he would start by renovating the cemeteries of Bükkmogyorósd, Csernely, Csokvaomány, Dubicsány, Edelény, Járdánháza, Kazincbarcika, Lénárddaróc, Mucsony, Sajóivánka, Sajókaza and Vadna.

Tengőd

2006. október 2. 

We are pleased to announce that with the support of our foundation and the help of Mr Haraszti the small cemetery at Tengőd has been cleaned. The next step is constructing a fence for which purpose we applied for financial support from MAZSÖK. We do hope they support our idea so we can re-inaugurate the tiny cemetery.

Call for aid from Siófok

2006. szeptember 25. 

We spent a pleasant September day in Siófok and its surroundings upon the invitation of Mr László Haraszti. Mr Haraszti takes care of the cemetery at Siofók which thanks to him is in wonderful condition. It was astounding to see how beautiful and well-kept a cemetery can be when it is being conscientiously attended to. Mr Haraszti organized our daytrip. Our first stop was at the mayor''s office of Tengőd. We were greeted cordially, and as a gesture of kindness a path had been cut through the woods, leading to the old Jewish cemetery. We found a small cemetery with some tombstones. We agreed with the mayor, Mr János Lakos, as well as with László Haraszti to launch the renovation of the small cemetery. Our next stop was Ádánd. Luckily here the mayor is also in favour of the Jewish cemetery''s restoration. In Ádánd we did a small walking tour cutting our way through the shrubs until we reached the top of the hill where an enormous cemetery is located. This cemetery certainly takes longer time to renovate. One of Mr Haraszti''s wishes is for this large cemetery to become accessible as soon as possible. Of course we support this project as well and start collecting donations, as the costs may amount to 1 to 2 million forints. On our way back to Siófok we stopped in Balatonszabadi at the small cemetery attended to by Mr Haraszti. There he asked for our support to construct a fence. Mr Haraszti has turned out to be a very good friend and is just as enthusiastic as we are. Our foundation will assist him in every possible way. Our daytrip finished at 5 PM with a project plan discussion.

News from Kapolcs!

2006. szeptember 20. 

In the framework of the Kapolcs Festival the freshly renovated Jewish cemetery at Kapolcs was festively inaugurated on July 30, 2006. Most part of the restoration work stems from the good-willed activities of András Szőke and his crew. András Szőke himself digged out the ancient, beautiful tombstones that were partly as deep as half a meter underground. A moving speech was held at the inauguration by Dr. József Schweitzer, retired national chief rabbi, chants were sung by László Fekete. In front of the huge audience István Márta held his speech on how the cemetery was revealed, on the restoration difficulties and supporters. The work at Kapolcs did not finish with this though. The restoration of tombstones continued in September, supported among others to a large extent by MAZSIT Foundation.

Re-inauguration of Köröshegy

2006. szeptember 17. 

We gladly announce the recent events at Köröshegy. In January 2004, while hunting, Mr Sándor Kovács discovered the lost cemetery of Köröshegy. He spent two years digging out the tombstones, erected those and constructed a nice fence around the cemetery. The inauguration was on the same day as the European Heritage Day. A number of locals, Jews and non-Jews, attended the event. Guests of the remembrance celebration were among others Károly Herényi, faction leader of MDF, István Gyenesei, president of the Association for Somogy, Tamás Suchmann, vice president of MAZSIHISZ, as well as the ambassador of Israel. The cemetery''s memorial plate is a donation of Tamás Grünberger. The pictures taken at the cemetery are the works of my son, Ádám Oblath.

Bana launched

2006. augusztus 26. 

We are pleased to announce that the restoration of the Jewish cemetery at Bana has started thanks to the work of Zoltán Somogyi, a local entrepreneur. The cemetery harboured acacia trees of 2 m height that completely blocked the way. We found a total of 15 tombs amidst the shrubs. This week we got rid of the tall plants, trees, so a number of tombstones was revealed, 50 total, most of which were still standing. We must say thank you the donations especially to this cemetery to Gitta Hönig from Israel, the statehouse of the county of Komárom-Esztergom and the MAZSIHISZ.

You can check history and current situation at cemeteries under the title Bana.

Visit at the mayor''s of Darnozséli, Mr Zoltán Fazekas

2006. augusztus 2. 

We passed lovely countryside on our trip, and our astonishment even grew when we saw the villages of Szigetköz and their inhabitants. If you can, do visit these jewels of our country, pass all their sites, get to know the utmost interesting past and present of the region. Believe me, it''''s worth it!

Back to the aim of our trip, regarding the Jewish cemetery. We encountered a well-kept and tidy graveyard lined by a row of trees, equipped with a holocaust remembrance plate. Mr Zoltán Fazekas is a strong-minded, knowledgeable, person fighting for noble goals. It is thanks to him and to the local people that the surroundings are nice and neat.

Our cordial host offered us delicious lunch, after which we visited the neighbouring village. We made the acquaintance of the friendly mayor of Ásványráró, Mr Imre Böosy, who provided us the requested information on our focus topics. His kind assistance and the nice appearance of the village give proof of his knowledge and professionalism!

Here we also had a look at the ancient Jewish cemetery. There are no more tombs, only an empty field. With our hosts Zoltán Fazekas and mayor Imre Böosy we discussed, equipped with refreshments, what our common tasks for the future are.

Dear reader, those are meant to be a surprise, we will inform you once the project is accomplished!

The re-inauguration of the Jewish cemetry at Apc!

2006. július 25. 

The inauguration passed beautifully, in peace and dignity. I will try to describe the course of events in words and pictures.

We arrived to the graveyard early, but were unable to precede the friendly members of the association, the villagers, relatives and those interested.

The ceremony was honoured by the presence of vice president Tamás Suchman and Péter Tamás of Mazsihisz; reporting media included Duna TV, the city TV of Hatvan, the cable channel of Apc.

The ceremony was opened and introduced by Rabbi Tamás Verő and his associate, chorister Tamás Biczó, whose warm voice sounded beautiful and clear in the silence of the cemetery, inviting the assembly to commemoration. The vice-president of MAZSIHISZ, Mr Tamás Suchman, held a speech, his charisma enthralling the audience and his sentences intimating the possibility of an opening world! On behalf of MAZSIT Foundation András Oblath, president of the advisory board, thanked the members of the association for their work and human virtue. The closing words were spoken by Gyula Hegedűs, president of the Join Together for Apc Association, inviting the participants to a friendly conversation at the local community centre. Those who took part at the inauguration and the celebration that followed spent a lovely and memorable afternoon together, in the company of friendly people!

News from the cemetery at Apc

2006. július 24. 

JOIN TOGETHER FOR APC ASSOCIATION

Dear Visitors!

We would like to share a marvellous piece of news with you! The president of the Join Together for Apc Association, Mr Gyula Hegedûs, informed us about the renovation of the former Israelite cemetery at Apc. Gravestones have been re-erected, the fence has been restored and cleaned. The names of the deceased were identified, holocaust victims will obtain a memorial, and the ancient prayer house has been documented. The members of the Association gave a worthy example of humanity, showing the world where we belong and who we are if we just join together!!
We travelled to Apc to congratulate the association and thank them for the noble act on behalf of the Jewish community. The re-inauguration will take place on Sunday, 2nd of July, 2006, at 2.30 pm. The relatives and descendants (from Israel, Belgium, France, Canada) located by the Association will also participate. MAZSIT Foundation will be present as well, and the ceremony will be conducted by rabbi Tamás Verõ. After the ceremony the Join Together for Apc Association organizes a reception at the local community centre. The Foundation would like to thank the members of the Association for dedicating their spare time to four months of hard work.

News from the mayor of Darnózseli, Mr. Zoltán Fazekas

2006. július 24. 

The mayor was so kind as to inform us what state the local Jewish cemetery is in, please find attached the email he sent us including also some information on the sites of the village. We gladly share these with you. The mayor invited the foundation personally, which we gratefully accepted.

" Our village is nearby the fishing and hiking sites of both the Danube of Moson and the Old Danube. From a tourist perspective it is more of a transit place, although the increasing number of restaurants and tourist accommodation invite tourists to enjoy the local entertainment and recreational activities. Several families offer room and board in the framework of village tourism. The school gives home to a permanent exhibition on the local history of Szigetköz. The 100-year-old lime trees – “gratitude trees” - near the cemetery were planted in 1896 on the occasion of the national Millennium festivities. On the same spot the memorial site for the soldiers of Darnózseli that were killed and disappeared during World War II is located. In the Jewish cemetery a plate on the remembrance wall remembers the holocaust victims of Darnózseli and Szigetköz. The road between Darnózseli and Lipót (dating from 1404) is lined by a beautiful row of locally protected wild chestnut trees that were planted in the 1930s..."

One small additional note: perhaps one of the first, if not the very first, holocaust memorial plate (!) not put up by a Jewish organization or religious community for remembrance. In 1984-85 this was a bold step to take in the Western border region. If I manage to find the documentation I saved someplace, I would like to send that too along with some pictures taken during the work phases as well as the celebration.

Mayor of Darnózseli

Short history of the Israelite cemetery at Darnózseli

Charity concert for the renovation of Jewish cemeteries in Hungary

2006. május 30. 

Location: Goldmark Hall (Wesselényi street), Budapest
Time/date: 11 June 2006. 16.00-19.00

Executive organizer of the concert:
István Torontáli ( Member of MAZSIT Foundation’s advisory board)
MAZSIT Foundation is happy to invite you and your family to its second charity concert. The funds raised at the concert are intended for the restoration of Jewish cemeteries in accordance with the Foundation’s goals, thereby also satisfying the traditional and moral expectation of paying respect to the dead and the living alike.

Performers:
Eszter Bíró, Tamás Berki, András Csonka, György Demeter, Gergely Földvári, Péter Gerendás, Viktor Hárs, Trio KTL, Tamás Somló, Anikó Ungár.

Wecome note by: Chief Rabbi Róbert Frőhlich
Hosted by: Eszter Hámori

Tickets are available at the entrance. With the price of the ticket you support the Foundation’s activities. The price of the ticket is not defined, but at least 3000 Ft for adults
The Charity Concert has two parts, refreshments are sold during the break for the benefit of the Foundation.

Outstanding supporters will be awarded a certificate

Holocaust Days in Hatvan

2006. március 30. 

We have been approached to take active part in organizing Holocaust Days in the town of Hatvan, to be held on 2 and 3 April, 2006. Naturally, we said yes.

New Project!

2006. március 28. 

Upon Mr. Sándor Friedmann''s request, we have begun work on the cemetery in Nagygéc (today a part of Csengersima) in Szabolcs-Szatmár County.

New Partner!

2006. március 25. 

We have successfully made contact with the Mayor of Lőrinci, Mr. Zoltán Víg, who reacted quite encouragingly and supportively to our proposed venture to jointly renovate the two cemeteries in his town.

MAZSIT on TV!

2006. március 23. 

On March 23, 2006, TV2''''s program Strucc made a report about the Foundation. The recorded report can be viewed here:
14 MB in wmv format
14 MB in mov format

New Project Launched

2006. február 28. 

Our Foundation has begun the preservation of the cemetery in Sajóvelezd, at the special request of Mr. Gyula Szalai.