Sunday, 26 August sees the start of the 15th Jewish Summer Festival – one of Budapest’s most prestigious annual programmes of cultural events. Every year the festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors from Hungary and abroad to the Hungarian capital and its synagogue, which is one of Europe’s most beautiful. The Government has also provided funding for this important programme of cultural events.

The first festival was in 1998, and its central venue is the Dohány Street Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe – and one of the most splendid. The building is not only a wonderful attraction, but also a symbol of long-standing Jewish traditions in Hungary.

The festival is partly funded by the Government, which has also taken many other initiatives over the last two years in the interest of the Jewish communities, and of renewal of dialogue with Jewish organisations.

Last February the Government adopted a resolution aimed at renewing dialogue with Jewish communities. As a result, joint work has been carried out with a wider range of participants covering more topics, more intensively, more often and in a manner consistent with public administration and constitutional goals – in contrast to the approach of previous governments.

The operations of the government-founded Jewish Heritage of Hungary Public Endowment (MAZSÖK) have been set on a new footing, and now MAZSÖK is functioning smoothly and effectively.

The government is cooperating with Jewish organisations on measures for the preservation of Hungarian Jewish cultural heritage, including research work and – possibly with international collaboration – restoration of historic sites related to Judaism and Jewish communities.

A series of negotiations conducted over several months was finally closed with the active mediation of the Government, when an agreement was reached on 31 January 2011 between Jewish religious communities in Hungary with respect to restitution payments in 2012.

On 1 January, new church legislation came into effect, with several Jewish communities among the thirty-two churches recognised under the Act.

This year Hungary is celebrating the Raoul Wallenberg Year, marking the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the wartime Swedish diplomat responsible for saving thousands of lives during the Holocaust. Many specialist and cultural events are being staged in this commemorative year.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)