called Hungary’s "largest Hanukkah celebrations ever," ahead of next year’s 60th anniversary of the Holocaust when 600,000 Hungarian Jews died.
Despite concern about anti semitism here, crowds of Jewish people braved freezing temperatures to observe the Hanukkah holiday, praying and dancing at street parties in front of Budapest’s Nyugati Railway Station where Jews once feared for their lives.
"The same Hungarian police which chased my grant parents on this square during World War Two, are now protecting the Jews," said Slomo Koves, 25, who this year became the first Orthodox rabbi to be ordained in Hungary after at least six decades.
"Today, 60-years later, we openly lit the Menorah", the eight-branched candelabrum to hold the Chanukah lights, he told BosNewsLife late Saturday, when the first street parties began.
EMOTIONAL MOMENT
"It is a very emotional moment for me," said another rabbi, Baruch Oberlander, who lit the candles of nearby huge Menorah set up by the Chabad Lubavics Jewish Education Association and the Pest Jesiva Jewish Education Centre.
"At this very train station where we are now, my father was forced to hide his yellow star and carry false papers with him," he said about World War Two, when Hungary for the most part was a close ally of Nazi Germany.
He recalled how is father "just briefly lighted a candle" during that time to observe the annual Jewish "Feast of Lights", or Hanukkah, the Hebrew word for "renewal." It was first observed in 164 B.C. when Jews got back their Temple in Jerusalem, after a revolt against their enemies.
MIRACLE OF HANUKKAH
They discovered one bottle of olive oil to light the candles in the Temple for one day. However the oil is said to have lasted for eight days, an event that became known as "the miracle of Hanukkah."
"Hanukkah is the feast of the miracle, that of the victory of faith and freedom, which concerns all who seek a happier and better life," said Hungarian President Ferenc Madl in a message read out at the event.
Other Hungarian government leaders also expressed support for Hanukkah, including Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy, who in the past spied for the counter intelligence service of the Communist regime which discouraged an active religious life.
"MENORAHS AND CROSSES"
"What causes pleasure to a member of the community does the same to other members as well," said Medgyessy after he embraced religion recently, in a letter to the celebrating Jews.
The menorahs set up in public places "propagate the culture of admission. It is my deep conviction that they get on peacefully with the crosses standing beside them," he added.
It was a reference to concern about the anti Semitism which overshadowed the weeks leading up to the Hanukkah celebrations.
CONTROVERSIAL PASTOR
Last month an appeals court overturned an 18-month prison sentence given to Reformed Church Pastor Lorant Hegedus who called for the segregation of Jews.
Hegedus , who is also a former vice-president of the far right Hungarian Justice and Life Party (MIEP) had urged Hungarians in an article to "segregate Jews before they segregate you."
More recently a prominent lawyer representing racist skinheads in a trial asked the presiding judge whether she was Jewish. And in Budapest, a soccer team owned by a Jewish businessman sometimes hears rival fans chant, "The train is leaving for Auschwitz."
ANTI HATE LAW
Following these incidents, Hungarian Parliament adopted this month anti hate speech legislation under which a person who publicly incites hatred "toward any nation, or national, ethnic, racial or religious group," could face three years in prison.
In addition someone who "publicly insults the dignity of a person because of his or her national, racial, ethnic or religious affiliation" could be found guilty of a misdemeanor and sentenced to up to two years of imprisonment.
Oberlander said he does not know if laws are the best way to deal with ignorance, adding that events such as Hanukkah could be equally effective "to spread the light and hope of this world…" and end the ignorance "as both Jews and non Jews dance together."
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