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Following the opening of new Shul in Hungary and a growing influx of Jews and Israelis—due to Hungary being considered “the safest country for Jews in Europe”—the Jewish community in Hungary received exciting news: a new chapter in Jewish life in the country. For the first time ever, a kosher dairy named Garaboncias, located about 70 kilometers from Budapest, has opened, enabling Hungarian Jews to consume milk, yogurt, and cheese produced according to full Cholov Yisrael and Gevinas Yisrael standards.

The dairy was established through the initiative of the EMIH – Association of Torah-Observant Communities in Hungary, founded by Chabad emissaries, who sought to provide a local solution for kosher dairy products. Until now, Chabad communities and numerous mehadrin restaurants in Hungary relied on importing dairy products from Belgium, France, and Israel.

In recent days, Rabbi Avraham Israel Rubin, a leading kashrus authorities, visited the country to certify the dairy. Rabbi Rubin, accompanied by his son Rabbi Ze’ev Rubin and kashrus expert Rabbi Binyamin Neufeld, conducted a detailed inspection of the production systems, provided professional training for Mashgichim, and examined other local facilities seeking kosher certification.

The initiative carries not only practical significance but spiritual importance as well. Chassidic sources emphasize that Cholov Akum can arouse doubts in Emunah, making the availability of kosher milk a matter of both physical and spiritual well-being. The Rebbe instructed that even small children should consume kosher milk, even in cases of “safek d’safek” (doubt within a doubt). As Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Frierdiker Rebbe, wrote regarding non-kosher milk: “Non-Jewish milk and its equivalents are a weapon of the evil inclination, whose arrows strike from afar and can destroy, G‑d forbid, a person spiritually or cause them spiritual blemish.”

Rabbi Shlomo Kovesh, Shliach and chairman of Chabad institutions in Hungary, explained the importance of establishing local kosher production: “Opening local kosher factories is not only a practical solution—it allows products to be more affordable and encourages more Jews to eat kosher. Every new facility strengthens Jewish life in Hungary and ensures that the community can live fully according to Torah standards.”

With the establishment of ‘Garaboncias’, Hungarian Jews now have access to fresh, high-quality kosher dairy without relying on imports, marking a significant milestone for the country’s Jewish community and Chabad’s ongoing efforts to support a Torah lifestyle throughout Europe.

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