Your Own Budapest. Stories of The Jewish District

If you're wondering where you can learn about the Jewish diaspora's history, culture, and traditions in Central Europe, Budapest is the best place to look. Thousands of years of Jewish history, with all of its tragic, poetic and comic aspects, are centred in Budapest. We will take a walk through Erzsébetváros, the Jewish district, the most striking and unexpected part of the city, and discover how people used to live here and how they live here today, what laws they abide by, how they celebrate holidays and raise their children. We will talk about the origins of Zionism and the Holocaust, the branches of Judaism and what it is like to be an Orthodox Jew in the modern world. The tour will be led by an Israeli native and a representative of the Jewish diaspora, so this tour will also be fascinating to those already well-versed in the subject.

But Erzsébetváros is also home to many famous, so-called "ruin bars", street art, music and vibrant modern life. How did the "ruin bar" culture come about? Where can you learn about Jewish culture over a drink and also meet local writers, artists and film stars? And what does the Soviet writer and medical doctor Bulgakov have to do with it? We'll tell you!

This place is also full of secrets and mysteries, which we will have to find and uncover. We'll peek into the courtyards and courtyard wells and search for Firebirds from Slavic folklore and menorahs covered in whimsical patterns. Come and join us!

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We'll see Budapest's three most essential synagogues: the magnificent Great Synagogue (Dohan Street Synagogue) and the beautiful synagogues on the Rumbach and Cazinci streets. All three of these buildings are entirely different in their branches of Judaism, architecture, and construction time. Through these buildings, we will find out what branches of Judaism exist and which of them originated in Hungary.

We'll learn about the everyday life of religious Jews. We'll peak through the window of a religious school and talk about how education is one of the core values of Jewish culture — sometimes also referred to as the "People of the Book". We will learn what kashrut is, which areas of life it regulates, where these rules originate from and how they are incorporated into modern life. We will visit a shop of Jewish paraphernalia and get acquainted with the rituals and the most important holidays of the Jewish calendar. In a kosher shop, we will learn to choose the right products. Why is it necessary to use a special cooker on the Sabbath? What is customary to eat during a Sabbath meal? Let's find out! We'll get to try some of the favourite snacks of the Israelis. And, of course, we will encounter many amazing stories. Here, you'll find one around every corner!

We will see fragments of the Budapest ghetto wall, a ceremonial reservoir, monuments to the righteous people who saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust, and one of the most potent memorials to its victims, the "Shoes on the Danube Bank". Near the "Tree of Life", we'll talk about the Holocaust and attempts to reflect on it in the aftermath.

We'll try to find the monument to the founder of Zionism. It's so challenging that we're willing to give a prize to everyone who finds it without any clues. And, of course, we'll find time to explore the "ruin bars", the trendy Gozsdu Passage and the most interesting murals. We'll admire the luxurious interiors of historic hotels and cafés and visit the greenhouse restaurant and the local market.