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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 30-2-162
TITLE:             Position of the Jewish Church in Hungary Since the Revolution
BY:                
DATE:              1957-9-12
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  (Hungar. Research)
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956-1965, Church and State, Religious Minorities

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"E" DISTRIBUTION- 290               12 SEPTEMBER 1957

RFE NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICE - EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SECTION

Background Report
(Hungar.Res earch)

POSITION OF THE JEWISH CHURCH IN HUNGARY
SINCE THE REVOLUTION[*]

During the revolution Hungarian Jews regained their religious
freedom and greeted revolutionary achievements with enthusiasm.
The religious communities set up provisional revolutionary
councils which took charge of the direction of religious life
(Hungarian Monitoring, 2 November 1956, p.174).

Due to mass hysteria brought about by the defeat of the revolution
a large number of Hungarian Jews left the country. Some
religious communities simply ceased to exist. According to
foreign reports 17,000 Jews left Hungary ( "Uj Elet", organ of
Hungarian Jews, April/May 1957).

Owing to large-scale emigration the government showed little
concern about re-establishing the relationship between the State
and the Jewish Church. The national representatives of the
Hungarian Jews held their first conference as late as July 1957
at which they elected a new board. In the resolution passed by
them they acknowledged the KADAR government. It said:

Hungarian Jews look with confidence to the good work
performed by the revolutionary worker-peasant government
and support the realization of its program,


End

--------------------------

[*] See also Background Reports of September 9 (Position of the
Roman Catholic Church) and September 12 (Position of the Reformed
Church).

  OSA / Guide / RIP / 1956 / RFE/RL Background Reports : Subjects | Browse | Search