Hungary -- which has more Jews than any other country in Central Europe -- has been experiencing an exodus of Jews in recent years, due primarily to the country's poor economy and its rampant increase of anti-Semitism, the JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) website reports today (February 22, 2013).
Although Hungary has about 100,000 Jews, as many as 1,000 of them are leaving the country each year. Immigration to Israel has tripled in the past three years, to 170 in 2012. Many others have sought new lives in Berlin, London, and Vienna -- the Austrian capital just a two-hour train ride away.
The Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation -- a Chabad-affiliated body -- said in a statement that it "could not rule out that the increasingly anti-Semitic sentiment may factor heavily in the minds of those who leave."
Oskar Deutsch -- the president of the Jewish community of Vienna -- said that Hungarian anti-Semitism was driving Jewish immigration to Vienna. The community has set up a program to help assimilate -- even lure -- the newcomers with language courses, help in finding employment, housing, and Jewish education.
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Sad, especially since the Hungarian (Magyars) and many Jews (not converts) are descendants of Noah. This means that they are kin, but of course, that never stopped anyone from hating.
ReplyDeletehttp://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/08/descendants-of-noah.html