Great Joy in the Jewish Community of Debrecen: Mayor Transfers Land for New Mikvah
There is great joy in the Jewish community of Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest and most important city, following the decision of Mayor Mr. Páp László to transfer a large plot of land in the heart of the Jewish Quarter to the community. This land will be used to establish a Mikvah for the city’s Jewish residents and for the many visitors who come to the area from around the world • Full Story
Debrecen, located in the eastern part of Hungary, is about two and a half hours from Budapest and close to the Romanian and Ukrainian borders. Before World War II, the city had a vibrant Jewish community, but during the Holocaust, most of the Jews were deported to concentration camps. After the war, a smaller Jewish community operated under the communist regime.
For many years, the Jewish community used a mikvah that had been in operation since before World War II. However, in recent years, the mikvah building had deteriorated and was deemed unusable, leading to its planned demolition.
Rabbi Shmuel Feigin, the Chabad emissary and Rabbi of Debrecen, said that since he was appointed as the Rabbi of the city five years ago, he began searching for a suitable plot of land for a new mikvah. The search took some time due to the lack of available space in the central Jewish area, but with the help of the mayor, Mr. László, who has done much for the community, a suitable plot of land was found. The area, measuring around 1,000 square meters, is located on Bajcsy-Zsilinszki Street, close to the large Orthodox synagogue in Debrecen. The spacious area had previously been used as a school but had been abandoned in recent years.
“Many commercial interests had their eyes on the property, but the mayor was determined to help us,” Rabbi Feigin said. “He understood that this is a Jewish area, and he felt it was important to close the circle and support the flourishing Jewish community in his city.”
Rabbi Shlomo Kovesh, Chief Rabbi of Hungary, added that the mikvah would also serve the thousands of visitors who come each year to the grave of the holy tzaddik Rabbi Shia’le of Karestir, located about an hour’s drive from Debrecen, as well as Jewish and Israeli tourists who are coming to Debrecen in ever-increasing numbers. “The mayor of Debrecen is part of Prime Minister Orban’s party and shares the view that the growth of the Jewish community is important. Jewish and Israeli tourism in Hungary has been breaking records each year due to the safe environment for Jews in the country. In two months, a new flight route from Israel directly to Debrecen will open, which will significantly increase the number of visitors to the city.”
This week, Rabbi Feigin received the keys to the property and to the old building on the premises. Work is set to begin before Pesach, with the expectation that it will take between 18 months to two years to complete, at an estimated cost of around two million euros. “We are doing everything we can to begin construction as soon as possible for the thousands of Jewish people in Debrecen, the visitors coming to Karestir, and local tourists,” Rabbi Feigin said.
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