Being Jewish in Hungary: Re-imagining Jewish Life in the 21st Century with Marcell Kenesei

Date & Time: Wednesday, January 8, 2024, 7:00-8:30pm ET

Location: Zoom

Program:  Hungary's Jewish community holds a fascinating and resilient story. With nearly 100,000 members, it represents the third-largest Jewish population in mainland Europe. Despite the devastating impacts of Nazi and Communist regimes, Jewish life in Hungary experienced a significant revival starting in the 1990s.

The establishment of JCC Budapest by the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in 1994 played a pivotal role in this resurgence. It became a cultural and social hub, fostering Jewish identity, education, and community building. Over the years, it has supported an extraordinary transformation, with Budapest now celebrated as one of the safest and most vibrant cities for Jewish life in Europe.

On the occasion of JCC Budapest's 30th anniversary, CEO Marcell Kenesei will offer insights into the growth of this community over three decades. He highlights the resilience and creativity of Hungarian Jews, the cultural renaissance of Budapest's Jewish life, and the factors contributing to its current safety and vibrancy—a story of hope and revival, woven into Hungary's complex modern history.

Speaker:   Marcell Kenesei embodies the spirit of dedication and growth within the Hungarian and Central European Jewish community.  Currently the Director of JCC Budapest, Kenesei’s position represents the culmination of years of commitment, education, and development. His leadership reflects a deep understanding of the community's past and a vision for its future, ensuring that JCC Budapest remains a vibrant center for Jewish life, culture, and connection in Hungary.

Kenesei’s Hungarian Jewish journey began early. As a child, he participated in the JDC-Ronald S. Lauder International Jewish Camp and was educated at the Lauder Jewish Community School in Budapest.  He later became active with the Haver Informal Jewish Educational Foundation, serving as a volunteer, informal educator, and general advisor, passionately organizing and leading dialogue programs for Hungarian public school students. He was a fellow at Paideia - The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Stockholm, Sweden, where he promoted interfaith dialogue, bringing together Jewish, Muslim, and Christian students.  He went on to earn a political science degree from ELTE University - Faculty of Law, Hungary's oldest and largest institution of higher education.

Kenesei has been instrumental in shaping Jewish cultural and educational initiatives in Hungary. He co-founded and served as deputy director of the Israeli Cultural Institute in Budapest.  He next worked with Centropa, a non-profit Jewish historical and educational organization dedicated to preserving and sharing 20th-century Jewish stories and photographs.  He served as director of Centropa Hungary and later as deputy director of Centropa International, expanding its impact across Europe and beyond.

Marcell Kenesei joined the staff of JCC Budapest-Bálint Ház as the director for resource development in 2017, and in 2020, he was appointed director, bringing his years of experience, dedication, and vision to lead JCC Budapest into a new era of growth and cultural revival.

Registration:  All participants must register for this Zoom program.  Members free.  Non-members $5.  A Zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the program.  Registration ends at midnight on Tuesday, January 7  This program will be recorded and available to JGSC members.